I'm fortunate in that when I was a child I spent time in the Malborough Sounds  with boat only access - ie no car, so being on the water became natural.  I also learned to listen to weather forecasts, learn about tide, figure out what clothes were needed, how to manage waves, how to look after a boat, tie knots, use tools, navigate to different coastlines or beaches. ​

I recently sold a TIWAL to someone who grew up in the middle of a country with no land in sight.   But now he lives near the ocean, hoping to bring up his family to be capable both on land and on water. 

Did you grow up in the middle of the country - have you considered sailing as an achievable capability or is it something that you have never considered at all?

There are many sailing schools or if that is too expensive, there are boat owners who always need crew.  You need only turn up at a marina on a race day or check out crew wanted sites.  You need to know how to listen , follow instructions and ask questions. You will learn so much in one day!  (If you can't swim, wear a life jacket).  

The TIWAL is a simple boat - once you have set up the boat the first time, there is no need to tie any knot other than a figure 8 knot, and the parts click or slide together.   The boat is simple and comfortable enough to be able to give everyone a go in it.  Even the most unenthusiastic about sailing might find this a fun experience.  The only issue is you might never get to use the boat yourself! 

Why tow when you can stow? Tiwal fits snugly into a medium sized sedan boot, SUV or camper van load space.  No more towing or backing a trailer when launching.  In just 20 minutes from boot to briny you can be sailing a boat with all the lively qualities of popular monotype class dinghies.  In addition you can sail alone or two up, teach the children sailing independence at beach front, estuaries or navigable rivers. 


Check www.tiwal.nz to get your TIWAL delivered in 5 days to NZ or Australia. 


Or email info@tiwal.nz to book a sail.  Sailing lessons offered (NZ only)

The TIWAL NZ fleet had a great day at Maraetai on Saturday 26th November.  The weather was great and we started the day with lots of fun and laughter with an assembly race, followed by beach starts, short races, a shared picnic and a longer course in the afternoon. 

Congratulations, John Rusk, from Wellington, for winning the TIWAL Cup! 
On Sunday a few hardy sailors braved the slightly wet conditions at Royal Akarana Yacht Club for a harbour course. 

Thank you to the owners for making this a special weekend. We are inspired to keep the events going over the summer and look forward to more days on the water together. 

Thank you also to the supporters of TIWAL, Rob Dickson, Anna Wirth-Hogan and Tim Hogan, who helped us on the day. 

Thank you very much to the sponsors: 
Harken 
North Sails 
Max International 
Energiser 
Maraetai Sailing Club 
The Gibbs/Lane Family for the support boat. 
and Catherine Henshaw for the trophy! 

Here is an update from France: 

Tiwal is going to be 10 years old this year! 10 years of adventure, joy, challenges, but above all, 2,500 Captains in more than 50 countries.

In 2012, Designer Marion Excoffon took on a crazy challenge: to fit a sailboat into two bags and send it off to sail on all the seas of the world.

And now, 10 years later, it's a team of 10 people and more than 50 suppliers, working together to spread the pleasures of sailing, with a range of four boats. We want to go further, and we have more surprises in store for you for the coming years! A big thank you to all those Captains for their confidence in us.

Have you found your ideal sailboat yet? 
Check out this article in the latest Yachting World magazine:
https://www.yachtingworld.com/.../inflatable-sailing.... 
In it you will find a review on the The TIWAL 3R - an exhilarating performance sailing dinghy. 
The original TIWAL 3 is already an award winning sailing dinghy, and now the new super charged model is another step forward in realising your sailing dreams. 
Send me a message on info@tiwal.nz and I will send you an order form so you can get your TIWAL delivered to your door! 
Cheers 
Melinda
TIWAL Australia and New Zealand 
+64 21 611 623

Once when I was an inexperienced moth sailor trying to come ashore in Sorrento, VIC,  I had to sail downwind at speed while dodging anchor lines and moored boats.   It was a ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ situation as I had a whole fleet behind me and no time to hesitate.   And, I had to get back to shore somehow. 


Like any challenging points in life sometimes having a simple way forward and a few tools up your sleeve makes the difference. 


If you or someone in your family has lost confidence in your sailing ability somewhere along the way then the following words are for you. 


Do you want to get back to a place where you find pleasure in planing downwind on waves, or making the most of good weather, relax time and time for good internal reflections?


Fear of failing to get the boat off the shore on the first go, of looking silly or having to be rescued are fears we all have when starting out. 


Here are a few steps to get you moving forward again (so to speak). 


⛵️Get a wind pennant : 

• To get a feel of how close you are pointing to the wind - especially in light winds when it isn't always easy to feel the wind on your face. 
• To reinforce where the wind is and where the sail should be  .. are you sailing across the wind or directly downwind?
• To give you a clear indication you are on the edge of a gybe

See the link for a wind indicator that will fit your TIWAL mast.https://www.huntsmarine.com.au...


Try one of these exercises each time you go sailing:


⛵️How is your exit from the shore going to look?
- Examine the angles from shore and imagine how you are going to get upwind.
- You will need to be moving forward before you try to point upwind.
- Take into account the amount of space you will need to sail in a sideways direction across the wind.
- Allow for a little sideways slip as the boat gets to full speed. 
- Tack only when you get to full speed.  If you try and tack at half speed you will end up stuck into the wind or ‘in irons’ and sailing backwards. 


⛵️When you are on the water practice coming to a stop near a stationary boat or mark in the water. This is like a ‘man overboard' drill so it is great to practice anyway. 

• Sail a reaching angle across the wind towards the mark. 
• Give yourself enough time to ease the sail and slow the boat before turning upwind enough to slow the boat
• Turn the boat upwind only enough to flap the sail - ie not all the way into the wind so you lose steering and control. 
• The object of the exercise is achieved - coming to a stop where and when you want to. 

For a visual aid go to:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?...


⛵️Practice sailing in circles talking to yourself as you turn -  I’m reaching, I'm bearing away,  I’m sailing downwind, I’m gybing, Im luffing up, I’m reaching, I’m sailing upwind, I’m tacking...  and so on! 




⛵️Coming ashore:
Practice stopping 20 metres out before you come ashore.
- Stop the boat by letting the sail go and turn slightly into the wind.
- Have a good look at the angle you want to come at the shore and imagine sailing that angle and how you will stop. 
Are you on the right gybe to turn the boat into the wind and stop?
Have you lifted your rudder up a little?
Will lifting the centreboard a little help you slip sideways to land in the spot you want to land?


I fail to do a perfect landing all the time, and but luckily that particular landing at Sorrento turned out to be just perfect (and the sailor following me just happened to be world famous. - a moment in time I wont forget!) 

Recreational sailing has just blown up beyond your sweetest dreams!
TIWAL Inflatable Sailing Dinghy. 
Bring your new sailling pal and potter around in bays, anchorages, and lakes. The ideal training yacht. 
Contact us at www.tiwal.nz and get the TIWAL delivered to your door in Australia, NZ and the South Pacific. 

​Sailing brings me so much joy. Whether carving through waves competing for a world championship or helping a disabled teen gain confidence on the water, out on the water is my second home.

This should surprise nobody. I have competed in 14 World Sailing Champs!

Sharing my knowledge and skills enables others to experience the same thrill and sense of achievement and it gives me the connection I need with people.

Sailing has so much to offer, as a sport or pastime. Harnessing natures forces, awareness of the natural environment, feeling the wind on your face, motor skills and physical abilities, creating speed and balance, pushing comfort zones, managing risks and enjoying adventures. Sailing dinghies, being small and close to the water, get you in touch with nature directly. Using practical, hands on skills and your senses, you make the boat travel fast to where you want to go. It’s a wonderful challenge.

From an early age my family’s support allowed me to travel the world and compete at an Olympic Games. Steering a boat fast was somehow natural for me.

My most valuable development as a person and a yachtswoman has come from the sailing community right here in New Zealand.

Coaching a huge variety of ages, abilities (and disabilities) in sailing and yacht racing and skippering crews in national keelboat events has been so invigorating.

And now with a new sailing technology I’m developing a new sailing community: the TIWAL community.

I enjoy championing the new and very practical TIWAL Inflatable Sailing Dinghies for a few reasons:
⛵️Convenience opens the sport to more people
⛵️Creates new adventures
⛵️Share a craft with multiple age groups brings generations together
⛵️Pack up and go to enjoy hassle free sailing wherever you find water
🧳Your boat has become your luggage - its wonderful!

When I’m not sailing or sitting at my desk, you will find me swimming, at yoga, the gym, or hitting a tennis ball; but I really come alive around sailors.

My customers include the young, old, women, men, old salts, beginners, families, grandparents or solo adventurers.

I love inspiring people as they expand their abilities at their own pace.

Can I help you?

Best wishes
Melinda

If you want to get on the water in 20 minutes with our easy-care, low maintenance inflatable sailing dingy. Book a sail today and have the TIWAL delivered to your door. 
Send us an email at info@tiwal.nz to find your ideal sailboat. 

​

When you take the kids out with you sailing, do they know what to do in a capsize?


It can be a good idea to practice a capsize in shallow water before you take them out so they know a few key things.  This gives the kids a fun, memorable introduction to capsizing and sailing. 


So what they could come away with is: 


- Capsizing is fun
- Stay calm
- Swim out from under the boat 
- Stay with the boat 
- Swim around to hold the end of the centreboard 
- Pull down on the end of the centreboard until the boat is righted
- The boat will turn so the bow is into the wind (by itself) and stop
- Climb on 


Aim to give confidence from outcomes of the practice such as: 


They can swim under a sail or out from under the boat.
The boat is there to give them something to hold and climb on. 
Holding the end of the centreboard will increase leverage. 
The sail will flap and the boat will stop once righted.
They can get back on by themselves - give them a few tips on how to do this. 


Now is the fun part where they can look forward to a capsize!  


Warning: Kids may wish to capsize and swim all day rather than go sailing!!!! 


Check the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l63Zhgvk3gg
To find out about choosing your ideal sailboat, inspirational sailing stories and sailing tips, sign up here:  https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/m8v8v7
Book a sail or contact us to find your local agent.   The TIWAL is perfect for everyone in the family for hassle free sailing. 
Author, Melinda Henshaw, is an ex Olympic sailor and is a member of NZ Marine Association and the Boating Industry Association of Australia

Jo Aleh has had a break from Olympic sailing after winning two Olympic medals. She has been involved with coaching at Olympic level and worked as a corporate Performance Coach.

She has been through many challenges of being an athlete including pressures around looking athletic and focusing on her body weight. She says while on the surface she seemed to be performing well, she says not eating enough had a much higher consequence for her health in the long term.

“Under-eating for three or four years and doing what I thought was healthy was actually very unhealthy.” She had constant stomach and sinus issues.
“Three years after the Olympics I was still in a recovery phase, getting my body back to a state when I could actually do things again.”

“I worry about the young girls come through there is an expectation to look athletic, and generally that is thin. When you are doing the amount of energy expenditure we do, you are better off not be really thin because then you have got no reserves. And you can’t be as strong and you can’t be as resilient.”

There are many other more important things than your weight such as getting a good start or getting the first wind shift.

As Jo returns to Olympic sailing she says “As long as I am enjoying my own sailing, I will take everything as it comes. I have realised I don’t always need a full plan. Things will pop up and if it seems like the right thing to do, then it is the right thing to do.”

To find resources to help you encourage your children into good eating habits: www.emmawright.co.nz/ecourse

For the full podcast listen here: https://www.facebook.com/YachtingNewZealand/videos/550576043161770
Author, Melinda Henshaw, is an ex Olympic sailor and is a member of NZ Marine Association and the Boating Industry Association of Australia and promotes the TIWAL Inflatable sailing dinghy for hassle free sailing.  

To find out about choosing your ideal sailboat, inspirational sailing stories and sailing tips, sign up here: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/m8v8v7

​Is a new sailing dinghy for me or the kids/grandkids?
The answer is usually 'me'(!) and that is ok as the TIWAL 3 also has room for the kids or the grandkids when they are in town.
The TIWAL 3 Inflatable maintenance free sailing dinghy can handle the breeze and the chop encountered in open water. The aluminium exoskeleton offers better stability when hiking out.
In any wind above 13-15 knots of wind the T3 performs better. It is stiffer, faster and has better upwind speed, especially in choppy waters.
The TIWAL 2 and 2L are simple inflatable sailing dinghies,quick to setup. Potter around in bays, anchorages, and lakes. The ideal training yacht for the kids and grandkids.
The TIWAL 2 also fits in two bags, and has a quick assembly time of 15 minutes.
Both sailing dinghies are award winning sailing dinghies.
For help in choosing your ideal sailboat, TIWAL Tips, and inspirational stories get in touch with us by emailing info@tiwal.nz.
Book a sail or contact us to find your local agent. The TIWAL is perfect for everyone in the family for hassle free sailing.