Last chance to emroll for this sailing masterclass before the monsoon

A nineyearold intrigued by why there is a lsquobedsheetrsquo catching wind on a boat at sea convinced her father to let her try her hands at sailing ldquoIt was the perfect place to be with friends In a concrete jungle like Mumbai we were amused to find an open sea with water splashing from all sides of the boatrdquo recalls Ayesha Lobo who started coaching people when she turned 15 When she turned 23 in 2014 she founded a sailing school Discover Sailing India with the help of father Sunil and her sister MalvikaA moment from a previous session right The activity is petfriendlyWith the monsoon expected to arrive next month Lobo is busy wrapping up the last few sessions of sailing before they begin again in September ldquoTo make these last sessions special we have partnered with Mumbai Foodie food community for a sailing masterclassrdquo she shares Apart from this they will host private masterclasses for interested groups of friends or family The masterclass Lobo shares is a way to give people a taste of what it is like being at sea ldquoPeople expect a tumultuous rough sea They ask me if it is going to be like Life of Pi or the Pirates of the Caribbeanrdquo Lobo chuckles ldquoand while there will always be a risk when at sea I tell them that this is not a movie and the Mumbai bay is nothing like thatrdquoSchoolgoing children learn to sail at seaShe tries to touch upon all the aspects taught at length in the sailing courses which she tells us begin with understanding the correlation between the sea the wind and the sail ldquoRemember the sail harnesses the wind and that is how we get the momentum Only after understanding this will you be able to know how to use the steering wheel to turn the boatrdquo she explains After the group gathers at the meeting point they take a transfer boat to the sailing boat On the way the trainers educate the participants about the concept of wind currents and direction Upon reaching they learn how to set up a boat pull and drop the anchor and control steer and sailAyesha LoboldquoThe myth about sailing is that you have to be muscular to be able to do it This sport is considered to be for strong men Trust me we have petiteframed trainees doing really well In fact nearly 80 per cent of my staff is female The idea behind founding the school was to promote the sport among women We wanted to create a path and fund the women at sail because they donrsquot get nearly as much funding to pursue this as the men in the countryrdquo Lobo sharesThe school apart from hosting experiences like yoga at sea and the twohourlong masterclasses also organises cleanup drives and participates in restoration projects ldquoWe have courses for serious sailors sessions for schools for people looking for onetimeexperiences and of course pet owners like us who want their furry friends to be at sailrdquo she saysSailing continues to be a passion and a getaway from the city for Lobo ldquoI urge people to try it because you will not only take back home new learnings but sailing also has the potential to relieve you from your stress It allows you the time to breathe and thinkrdquo she signs offGet ready to sailgtgt Take medication if you have motion sicknessgtgt If you canrsquot swim or have anxiety inform the instructorsgtgt Carry drinking water to stay hydratedgtgt Sailing can be glamorous so dress to look cute in comfortable clothes gtgt Apply sunscreen and bring your biggest smileTill May 25 7 am to 8 pmMeeting point Gateway of IndiaLog on to discoversailinginCall 9920886114 for slot availability and cost