Oppi Sailing Gear

Originally posted by Jack Sparrow and much more riotous behaviour doesn't happen in other fleets. Larks Ents 29er's the list could be massive.

have to agree with you there mate. we held this years 29er nationals and during one evening one helm decided to 'take someones mast down' in the dark and in doing so damaged the boat to a point where they had to claim redress and protest them to ensure that insurance would pay for the damage to be repaired. during the protest meeting they then had the cheek to say 'we arent taking this seriously anyway'. that was said to a room full of people who had all taken a week off work and donate it to running a championship in challlengine conditions.

if you went to the 29er nationals can we have some feedback please? so that we can keep improving the standard of our championships.

ok some oppie parents can be pushy, but you get pushy people in almost every fleet that i have seen - except the rs300 one

and much more riotous behaviour doesn't happen in other fleets.

Larks
Ents
29er's

the list could be massive.

I don' think any of us are sl*gging off the oppi circuit or the class as a whole - there's no doubting that kids go out and have a great time and get a brilliant introduction to racing.  What you do get fed up of as a coach and an instructor, is the parent who will completely override whatever you're trying to do with your sailors, spoil the day for everyone and inevitably upset and embarrass their own child.

It's very true that not all parents are like this - thank goodness, otherwise there would be a huge shortage of coaches and instructors willing to take on the oppi class, which would be a terrible shame.

Before you criticise us because once in a while we do get fed up of the parents, first read the threads carefully so you see what we're actually saying, then just have a look at how hard we work - usually on a voluntary basis - see what we have to contend with on most occasions, and allow us a little moan once in a while.

I think most people's point is the whole pushly parent thing.  I'm not against oppies, never raced one, sailed one in a F5 and that was a laugh... I was younger and a lot lighter then.  Oppies are great boats to learn and get racing, and from what I have seen they have a fanstatic circuit/training.  Its just the few pushy parents. There is a huge difference, although a thin line, between supportive and bullying. 

My family is a horsey family.  'You're a Williams, you should be riding'.  My brother and I got the whole time when we started sailing our mirror. When I was a kid I did the whole Pony Club thing.  I didn't dislike it, but I was doing at very junior level.  But some of the parents there, argh!  If the kid fell off, it was more important that they crossed the finish line than if they were ok.  My sister completely cycles... again some parents! 

When my sisters completed in riding.  My parents where supportive, driving to events, putting the studs in etc.  They were left do most of it themselves, but if they needed help my parents would give it to them.  When my brother and I started sailing a lot [we were older, about 15].  We had to everything apart from drive for ourselves.  That was simply because my parents didn't know one part of the boat to another.  The RS200 'It has no back!' and my byte 'It looks like a surfboard'.  However they supported us in their own way.  I'm not saying this is the best way, all I'm saying I don't think a 9 yr old kid should be in tears after a club race and try and hide away from his parents.

Originally posted by stuarthop I don't know why anyone can slate the optimist class and its squad systems ect. It gave me the best start in the sport i could have possibly wished for and has generated many many very good sailors.

I guess it depends whether you think that all that is good for the kids and their parents as human beings... There's no doubt that a small percentage of the Oppie kids turn out as world class sailors, but that's not really very important in the grand scheme of things.