Sailing advocate says get on board

Athens is as landlocked as towns come, but that doesn't mean residents can't stretch their sea legs.

Bob Saveland, a former University of Georgia professor and sponsor of the UGA Sailing Club, is on a campaign to make sure people know about the those opportunities.

Saveland and current members of the club are hosting Saving Sailing, a kind of introduction to sailing for Athens residents, at the Athens-Clarke County Library on Baxter Street. The program, which consists of movies and a talk about the basics of sailing and where to sail around Athens, will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Saveland donated nine sailboats to Sandy Creek Park in 2007 with the hopes that the park would offer sailing classes and be able to rent out the boats. Park staff only have been able fill up a handful of classes in last two years.

Park officials planned a youth sailing class this weekend, but still are waiting to see if they will have enough participants to launch the boats, said Carly Robinson, a program specialist at Sandy Creek Park. That's not unusual, she said.

"I think our location has a lot to deal with it," Robinson said. "People just don't think about sailing here in Athens."

Saveland's

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