15 points after 14 races

We operate sucessful fleet training in our club which is usually the people who are at the front coaching those who are at the middle/back of the fleet.

Occasionally one class may get a 'rock star' in for a day. This usually involves a fee payable to them but is sometimes subsidised by the class association. We have a very sucessful Enterprise training day which is open to all members of the Enterprise Class and is hosted by none other than Mike McNamara.

Basically in my experience clubs do tend to organise their own training. The difference between most sailing clubs in the UK is that they are run as 'not for profit' where as golf clubs are definitely commercial enterpises and use the 'pro on site' as a marketing tool to get more money from those who want to improve.

The class training definitely works at my club with the whole fleet closing up and becoming very competitive (means I have to work harder and improve myself). Class association organised training is also good such as the Fireball training which occurs at the start of the season and is hosted by Adam Bowers and a variety of rock stars from the front of the fleet. So I guess the training is there if you want it, you just have to know where to look!

Just my opinion. For what it is worth I would not want to pay a huge amount for a pro training when I can go to an open and get the same information for the price of a few pints (most guys at the front are only too happy to talk).

Paul

Originally posted by TonyL   most middle/back of the fleet types seem happy to stay there!

Is that because their is no route out or that they just like sailing badly?

I am sure most people like to do better at things and progress ... why not help them to do that through pro coaching?

Rick

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by Guest#260 Shame the club system dosn't support coaching. All the money goes into the Olympic elite. That's not quite true. There is a fair bit of support from the RYA (mostly admin and organisation rather than money, but that's fair enough) for clubs and classes to organise coaching. I've got an RYA club coach cert for instance.

It is great that people are prepared to do this type of thing but why dosn't every club have a club pro.

When I sailed 420's & 470's in the 80's I benefited for the top coaches. No I sail the Musto the only pro coaching I get is twice a year from Mark Rushall at the two big events.

I can drive to my local golf club and get an hour with the club pro or go to my squash club and do the same ... why are their no pro coaches at club level?

Is it that sailors are no open minded to paying for pro coaching?

Looks like small cheese compared to the cost of new sails but I guess people will no pay.

Rick

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by Guest#260 I can't believe the mentality of people in our sport; of course make sure your kit is up to scratch but the biggest factor is the sailor(s). Its something that oftn bemuses those of us who sail open rule boats. We know that very big differences between boats often make very little difference in round the course speed, so get really bemused by sailors in one design classes taking immense pains and even expense working within the rules to gain what must be microscopic differences in performance - and often in many cases no idea whether those changes actually make the boat faster or slower anyway.

I guess it is human nature; people don't want to recognise their own inadequacies so focus on the equipment ... easier to blame the mast rake than your own inability to tack the boat!!

If our sport could have coaching to a deeper level (like golf say) people could actually improve.

I worked for a season in Minorca and I had sailors who has been sailing all their lifes and still didn't know how to do some of the basics; after a weeks training they left having achieved huge gains is thier ability. Shame the club system dosn't support coaching. All the money goes into the Olympic elite.

Rick

Originally posted by Guest#260 When I sailed Topper I just has the first boat off the shelf - that was good enough to win the Europeans out right and the first youth at the worlds and nationals. How did you get on with your special boat?

I should probibly note here that I would have been perfectly happy with the 'first boat off the shelf' It just so happened that Dave offered me a very good deal so I chose to buy through him, and he took it upon himself to select that boat. I knew nothing about the differences between boats untill he delivered it and had a chat with me about all.

As for how I got on... No where near as impressive as you as I never did the circuit but lots of wins and top-of fleet possisions at club level and handicap opens.