The King’s School Sailing team took 13 pupils and 9 boats to the first Autumn training session, held by Kent Schools Sailing Association at Herne Bay Sailing Club.

A warmer than average October brought a strong South-westerly breeze, which proved challenging at times for the 55 boats involved. Sailors were divided into 3 groups and were briefed by the KSSA coaching team as to the on-water training sessions for morning .

The King’s sailors were well represented across all three groups and found the conditions challenging in the morning with lots of thrills and spills. Boat control and sail settings were critical in the gusty breeze and towards the end of the morning, all sailors were starting to come to grips with the conditions.

With a slight drop in the strength of the wind for the afternoon, the King’s sailors had the opportunity to improve their skills with less focus on survival. All of the pupils benefited from the change in conditions, developing their teamwork and camaraderie.