The first Dundee Sailing Club Open Day of the year and everything seemed to fall into place. We had a steady wind (no nasty gusts, no deadly doldrums), a nice tide (peaking just about midway through the day), and the weather (after a dodgy start) was great. All of which would have counted for nothing had no one come - but we had 100 visitors, over 50 of whom came out on the boats.

For me it was fascinating what a range of people came. There were plenty of potential new members, some giving the sailing thing a whirl for the first time and others with a bit more experience. There was a large group of Dundee University undergraduates; I guess they were using their post-exam leisure time to explore a bit more of what Dundee has to offer, and I hope they get the opportunity to sail with us again. And not to forget the scout troop who seemed to be having a great time out on the river if the chatter was anything to go by (OK, there was one who looked as if he'd rather have been anywhere else but in a 14ft dinghy getting splashed by bow waves, but hey - you can't win everyone over).

Our big stock of safety gear and waterproofs meant that anyone who wanted to could try out sailing; there was no need to come ready-equipped. Though visitors with a dry change of clothes for afterwards were probably the happiest. We had 5 dinghies out, giving 2 or 3 people at a time 10-15 minutes on the Tay . It was mostly a matter of going across the river to the lighthouse and back, but some lucky ones got to go out with Richard – he was taking people up towards the bridges.

Was it a successful day? If it is measured in terms of the fun we all had (visitors and members alike), then definitely so. And as well as the pleasure of the day itself, it is great to see a lot of new faces turning up at the Club since then – they must have experienced something they liked!

Did you miss the Open Day but want to see whether sailing is for you? Don't worry – you are welcome to come along to any Club day and have a go (crew space in dinghies permitting) and of course there are two more Open Days to come.

See you on the Water.