SAILORS from across Victoria hit the water on Lake Wendouree over the weekend for the 2019 Hansa Class Victorian Championships.<\/p>\n
The event saw racing in four divisions of the all-ability Olympic and Para- Olympic class boats with several local competitors in on the action.<\/p>\n
Because Hansa\u2019s control with a joystick type device, where the craft goes in the direction you push towards, and not a traditional rudder, the boats are a good for beginners through to experienced sailors.<\/p>\n
Commodore of the Ballaarat Yacht Club, Colin Littlejohn, said hosting the Hansa championships was linked with the club\u2019s push to get more people into sailing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis a beautiful lake to sail on and we just want to promote the facilities and Ballarat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe beauty of sailing is it\u2019s access for everybody, we\u2019ve got people that sail regularly from five years old to 90 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re also very conscious of training all our people. It\u2019s about having people that are fully qualified and fully trained. We built a new jetty and made sure it has wheelchair access and there\u2019s about eight cranes that we can lift people in and out of boats.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can turn up here and sail, we\u2019ll put you in a boat, we\u2019ll supply you with life-jackets, the whole lot. You don\u2019t need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n