15. Yachting,2 Sailing

"Yachting" and "sailing" (парусный спорт) are synonyms. "Sailing" has been the usual word since the sport became less exclusive and more professional. Formerly yachting was only for the rich, who owned their own yachts and were members of a yacht club. Recently, however, various kinds of simpler and therefore cheaper boats have appeared, sailing clubs have been started, where boats are available for the use of members, and the sport has become less exclusive. However, "yacht club" is still used with reference to the exclusive type of club, in contrast to "sailing club".

A series of yacht races is also called a regatta, as in rowing. The most well-known yachting regatta is called Cowes Week. Cowes is a small town on the Isle of Wight, opposite Southampton, "'• and a world-famous yachting centre.

16. (Horse) Riding

English people are very fond of horses on the whole, but horse riding (верховая езда) is an expensive sport, at least for townspeople, and therefore confined to a minority. It is considered to be an aristocratic sport. "Riding" alone is generally used, even when horses have not been mentioned previously.

c. g. a) She's very fond of riding, b) She often goes riding.

17. (Horse-) Racing

Horse-racing (скачки) is important mainly as a spectator sport and because of the betting which is associated with it. Racing takes place at a racecourse, which holds

race-meetings, that is, a series of races lasting

several days each. Racing is of two kinds: flat

racing and steeple chasing.

Flat racing is simply riding round the course.

Steeple chasing involves not only riding, but

jumping over obstacles such as fences, hedges,

ditches, water-jumps.

Betting takes place on and off the course. On

the course people can place their bets with a

book-maker. Off-course betting used to be illegal,

but in 1961 licensed betting shops were opened,

where people can bet on horses without going

to the course.

Even people who do not usually bet on horses

often make a small bet on the two most famous

races:

The Derby — a flat race, held at Epsom

Racecourse.

The Grand National — a steeplechase, held at

Don caster.

Ascot racecourse is near London, and in the

early summer it holds a race-meeting called

Royal Ascot, so called because members of the

royal family traditionally attend it. Many people

go there not so much to watch the races as to

be seen at this fashionable occasion in their best

clothes, and some women have very striking hats

specially made for Ascot.

"Races" is used with reference to horse-racing

in such sentences as:

a) They often go to the races.

b) He's at the races.

Here "horse" is not necessary. With "racing", however, "horse" must be included, unless it is implied by the context. Otherwise it may be confused with other kinds of racing, for example motor racing or motor-cycle racing (see No. 19 below).

18. Hunting, Shooting and Fishing

These three sports are often spoken of together, since they are the traditional recreations of country people, and townspeople with country estates (especially the aristocracy). Note that "hunting" in English practically always denotes fox-hunting, that is, hunting foxes on horseback with a pack of hounds (fox­hounds), who kill the fox. No guns are used in hunting.

"Shooting" is used to mean killing birds and other game (дичь) with a gun, on foot. Fishing is not confined to country people and those with country estates, except for a few kinds like salmon-fishing. "Fishing" may mean with a net or with a hook and line. "Angling", "to angle" are sometimes used instead of "fishing", "to fish" with a hook and line only, not a net. A person who fishes in this way may be called an angler. "Angle" and its derivatives are used when the sport is taken seriously.