Meet a Member – Francesca Kotecha – A complete beginner when she started….
Meet a Member – Our members are what make FlexiSail such a success – but who are they?
Francesca Kotecha – A complete beginner when she started…..
Francesca had only just started dinghy sailing with no experience of yachts when she joined FlexiSail at the 2008 London Boat Show. Despite her lack of experience, she was hooked on the sport and thought that the only way to get on the water regularly was to buy her own boat. Her husband, who saw sailing as only one of several interests, was less keen as he appreciated the cost, time commitment and hassle with owning their own boat.
FlexiSail was the perfect compromise. Francesca started her membership with a Genoa mentored training package to gain the skills she needed to get started. Since those early days she has built her confidence and competence by regularly skippering Osprey, her FlexiSail yacht, and now thinks nothing of heading across the Channel to France for a weekend jaunt with family, friends and other members! Having built her miles and experience her next ambition is to take her Yachtmaster Offshore qualification.
“I have access to a boat for a fixed cost with no worries to do with maintenance or marina fees. I simply turn up and go off and sail. I love the fact that my membership is aligned to a specific boat which you always return to, this gives me a real sense of ownership, and it really does feel like my own boat. What a great idea. All the fun without doing the sums. FlexiFantastic!!” Francesca Kotecha