SAILING AND REGATTA

THE REGATTA

Regardless of sailing experience and ability the range of equipment offered a great choice of boats. For us we really enjoyed the simplicity of the Picos and the speed of the Darts. In fact, the Darts offer that other dimension of being able to have the whole family on board whilst making the most of even the most marginal of winds.

The regatta was great fun and although we had never really been in a sailing race before, that really didn't matter. The instructors gave a clear briefing, then we just selected the boats we wanted to race in and away we went. There aren't many sports where you can team up with your 8 year old daughter and race against children, adults and families all with different types of equipment. Everyone could take this as seriously as they wanted but on the whole it was the children doing the work with a focus on fun...oh and not crashing!

WHAT SUP?!

STAND UP PADDLE AND WINDSURF

Stand up paddle is a really easy but novel way to get around. Somehow it seems to have more comfort and appeal than a kayak for getting around the lake...literally, standing up gives you a better perspective of where you're going!

There is actually a fair amount to see here and we found it pretty quick for just getting to different points in the lake. By going up the creek (but with a paddle...) the kids loved going to the "Pirate's Cove" and then being able to run and jump in. We also nipped across to the lily pads and tried to follow some ducks!

The windsurf kit is perfect for beginners and our two children enjoyed several sessions with really light and small sails that they could handle. After a couple of sessions my son was able to genuinely windsurf, going right out into the middle of the lake, working upwind and tacking. Our daughter liked help with the uphauling, and the shallow water allows this, before sailing to the beach.This has led us to come home and add a couple of junior rigs to my kit...a great introduction to the sport in a warm and safe environment.

INSTRUCTORS

INSTRUCTORS

There's no other way to put it than these guys and everyone of the Rockley staff offer first class service, support and instruction. We were met with such a friendly and warm welcome and every small request was met with a rapid and smiling "of course!".

It didn't matter which role the staff were doing they all did their own jobs with such positivity...from Instructor to Manager to Chef and so on. Most importantly, these guys know how to enthuse, motivate and entertain kids WHILST teaching them. This meant that our two had fun the whole time!

COOL BIKES!

FANTASTIC BIKE RIDES

With local towns just a few miles away, and perfect cycle tracks to them and to the nearest beach, it made great sense to use the Rockley bikes.

These bikes are fantastic quality GIANTs with sizes that accommodated adults and all the way down to our 8 year old. In fact, it made us realise that we need to get our kids bigger bikes!!! Helmets are included so we felt protected.

We did a few short rides particularly using the lakeside cycle route which goes through forest and alongside crop fields, but the highlight was the ride around the entire lake. Joining another family made this great fun, especially as it is almost completely flat. So, with a few extra wiggles even the youngest (7 years old) was able to complete the 14.5 mile trip in comfort. this felt like a real achievement, although it still didn't wear them out!