Team Sailing League Takes off

Since its launch in 2017, the Team Sailing League (TSL) has been enjoying great success around the country. The chief aim of the TSL is to draw in new participants who in the past would not have given sailing a go, while also reigniting the passion in our current sailors by introducing the competitive team element.

The past year and a half has seen the involvement of Coca Cola in the TSL in the Eastern Cape, most recently in getting the league up and running at North End Lake and also backing a successful TSL event in the harbour. This is excellent news for the sport as corporates realise the great potential of the TSL. This sponsorship was specifically aimed at developing sailing in the region and has allowed for the promotion of youth involvement by getting school children out on the water, and making the sport accessible to all.

Much of the success of the TSL has been due to the fact that it utilises an easy-to-understand format, is all about short, competitive racing, and events can take place over a short period of time. Also, boats are provided for the events and anyone can take part – it’s not only reserved for seasoned sailors.

Thanks to its accessibility, participation in sailing is growing rapidly and key to this is the involvement of schools around the country. This participation will culminate in the National Inter-schools Championships to be held at Theewater Sports Club on 14 December 2019. More details are available on the SA Sailing website.

What follows are several reports of TSL events that have taken place around the country…