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Teletskaya school of youth ecotourism – Scarlet Sails Project

The idea to use sailing equipment for Lake Teletskoye navigation regardless of its complex wind regime is not new – ever since the appearance of the first settlers on its shores in the first half of the 17^th century sails had been used as a supplementary moving force in favorable wind conditions. Up until the end of the 20^th century sails were treated solely as a practical instrument that helped settlers move across the Sacred Teletskoye Lake. Management of the tourist complex “Altyn-Tuu” (Lake Teletskoye, mouth of the Chulyshman River) was the first to start using sailing boats for commercial tourism purposes in 1991.

Social projects of the Nature and Children Program of the Altaiskiy Reserve have been taking advantage of sailing opportunities ever since 2001. One of the projects was named “Scarlet Sails – to Children”, whose ten years’ achievements and results include:

1. The establishment of NGO “Scarlet Sails Yacht Club”.
2. The launch of the small sailboat building workshop at Gorno-Altaisk Craft Center for Children “Adamant” that, supported by administration of Gorno-Altaisk, received a plot of land for lease on the shore of Lake Teletskoye to organize summer recreation children camps.
3. The launch of a yacht club in the Altaiskiy Biosphere Reserve within the framework of the Teletskaya school of youth ecotourism.

4. By the end of 2010 the number of boats in Teletskoye Lake sailboat fleet built by members of NGO “Scarlet Sails Yacht Club” exceeded 10.

More detailed information about the project “Scarlet Sails – to Children” can be found in the article “Cooperation experience of Gorno-Altaisk NGO “Scarlet Sails Yacht Club” and Gorno-Altaisk municipal educational institution of extended education for children “Adamant”” in the collection of materials of the Teletskaya school of youth ecotourism (pp. 73-77).

In 2011 major repair of Laser Class centerboarder sailboats was initiated by members of the project in preparation for the International Conference “Children, Youth and Environment: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding». The project participants also achieved an agreement with Gorno-Altaisk State University to unite efforts in the establishment of the Sailing School of the Altaiskiy Reserve.

Yevgeniy Veselovskiy

staff member of the Altaiskiy Biosphere Reserve,

coordinator for the Teletskaya school of youth ecotourism “Guardians of the Lake”,

Scarlet Sails Yacht Club shipman