In an exciting initiative the Mirror Class Association of WA took sailing to the public at this year's Royal Show and are reaping the benefits. The Mirror, a popular international dinghy, is fun for the whole family and with the current emphasis on healthy living this is just the ticket for people of all ages, a sport the whole family can enjoy together.
MCAWA President Rik Thornton was very happy with the positive feedback and the quality of the conversations with over 900 people who chatted with volunteers on the sailing stand during the course of the show. “We have been thinking about taking sailing to the show for many years but weren't sure what to expect. We finally took the plunge and the result was extremely encouraging. The aim now is to get a few more class associations and clubs involved next year and build on what we have started.”
The Mirror Class Association garnered the support of the WA International Optimist Dinghy Association, Claremont Yacht Club, Hillarys Yacht Club, the 2011 Albany Mirror Worlds and Sailpower for the display where club and class volunteers were on hand to chat about the rigged Mirror and Optimist dinghies. A continuous Optimist audio visual presentation played in the background . With over 400,000 people attending the show a good result was assured. The solid and consistent promotional work being undertaken by the Mirror Class is paying dividends. Two city clubs increased their boat numbers by 7 boats (fourteen families) and Claremont is now looking for more boats to accommodate interested sailors.
In the lead up to WA hosting the 2011 Mirror World Championships at Princess Royal Harbour in Albany, (http://mirrorworlds2011.com) many boats are being resurrected from club storage or back yard garages – don't miss out on the action, get your boat dusted now and get onto the water.
A strong WA sailing contingent attended the World Championships in Wales earlier this year where hundreds of CDs promoting the attributes of the WA World Championships in early in 2011 were circulated. Albany sailors will be undertaking further promotion at the 44th International Mirror Class Sailing Championships to be held at Lake Cootharaba, Queensland from 28 December 2009 to 3 January 2010 http://nationals.qldmirror.com
