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how old were you when you started sailing?

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Poll Question: how old were you when you started sailing?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
16 [20.00%]
14 [17.50%]
25 [31.25%]
2 [2.50%]
7 [8.75%]
5 [6.25%]
6 [7.50%]
2 [2.50%]
1 [1.25%]
2 [2.50%]
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ellistine View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote ellistine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: how old were you when you started sailing?
    Posted: 15 Aug 12 at 12:07pm
Lived in Weymouth all my live. Started sailing four years ago aged 34. Go figure.
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Ruscoe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Ruscoe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Aug 12 at 5:14pm

I was very young probably 2 or 3 in the front of my Dads Miracle 'Scallywag' not that you could call it sailing.  My daughter was 4 when i bought her first boat and started racing this year at age 6.  Unfortunately i have now broken the Graduate (similar problem to yours Paul) and its now on the Drive being fixed before being repainted/ cleaned up ready for next season (i know its only August) but now my Daughter is 7 i hope to actually get some proper club racing in next year.  We have done a couple of club races and even won more then a couple.  But next year is going to be the year.

 
PS. Any Father/Child potentials out there you should look no further then the Graduate.  It is the Perfect boat for this Combo.

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Post Options Post Options   Quote Fraggle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Aug 12 at 5:39pm
Started at about age 11, basically when Dad decided I was big enough to be a useful Enterprise crew.  Learnt to shout back after a year or 2 and parents booked me on a level 1&2 course and bought a topper (pink) for me and my younger brother to share.
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Medway Maniac View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Medway Maniac Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Aug 12 at 5:56pm
Started at 14 thanks entirely to a self-less teacher who organised school sailing and a friend's mum who bullied me into going along for a try.  Was hooked in less than ten seconds as third man in a GP14 in a F.4.  Actually, not having anything to do as third man was a blessing - it allowed me to just hang on and absorb the moment - I always feel for newbies who are fighting with jib-sheets and a shouty helm, it must ruin the first-time experience.

Would never happen today - no sailing at that school any more...
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Post Options Post Options   Quote r2d2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Aug 12 at 8:40pm
The poll results seem to say strongly that to get people sailing you need to give them the opportunity at a young age. It's a shame more schools don't offer the chance
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craiggo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote craiggo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Aug 12 at 10:28pm
Russ, bad news on the Grad front but I'm sure you'll get it fixed up pretty quickly.

We managed a 2nd a 1st and two 4ths last week with Izzy the 4yr old wonder crew. None of the other club members believed she was actually contributing until we sailed past and they saw her uncleating the jib going into the tacks and pulling it in 90% of the way once we were through it. As a result a load of 5-8yr olds suddenly wanted to race with their parents later in the week.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote DFF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 12 at 3:16pm
If by some chance this is actually now a representative statistical distribution then it shows what you might expect, and also a great weakness IMHO of adult training! ( racing oriented that is)
 
1) even stevens on 0 to 10 year olds. Mum and Dad sail, you go with them.
 
2) 11-15: club "babysitting" in optimists etc while Mum and Dad sail with G&T's.
 
3) Dramatically fewer start sailing outside the early teen club clique
 
This is not a suprise because the RYA and clubs put most effort into recruiting and training kids.

Now I always sailed as a family from maybe aged 5 or before, but gave up after sea scouts. I got right back into racing aged 25 at the deep end on a 37ft regatta machine, foredeck no 2.
 
I had to piece together my own development plan having gone beyond "competant crew" on my own, turning back to dinghies to do levels 1 to 4 eventually and now I have taken instructor I.
 
I found that in my first two years most people at  my local clubs thought I was pretty useless and often were outright rude! They even continued to have an attitude for several years, despite me returning home from ISORA and Solent racing on various well known boats,  and various dinghy exploits -   actually being not-too-bad as it happens after many events on a steep learning curve.
 
So begining as an adult can be a hard way and this is partly due to you having to use holiday really to get on any courses or relying on patient racing helms, who are few on the ground. One night a week adult courses would be better IMHO.
Crewing on a Melges 24, against my better judgement...
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craiggo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote craiggo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 12 at 9:12pm
DFF, I suspect that you are pretty close to the truth there.

One thing that does stand out in your comments, and something I see on a regular basis, is that Adults have expectations. They expect well run courses, they expect 'development plans' and they don't seem to like the idea of learning by crewing. I personally hate development plans, I hate the formality they infer and I hate the way in which they mirror the stupidity and lack of common sense on offer in the workplace but putting that aside. Perhaps this is the culture difference that causes the divide between those taught young and those coming in as adults.

It seems that many clubs are suffering from a divide between hardcore race fleets and those who have just learn't, and clubs are looking to find a way of pulling it all back together. What is missing for me is the desire for new sailors to want to crew with more experienced sailors. Pride appears to get in the way and they tend to buy this years latest plastic fad or a 40yr old GP for 50p and try to sail it often ignoring the good advice of experience people, getting frustrated that their crate doesn't perform and they have no one to get help from as there is nothing else like it on the water.

One thing on the side of the yuuf is that they tend to listen to those that they aspire to be!

Certainly an issue that many clubs and indeed the RYA are struggling with.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote DFF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Aug 12 at 10:08am
I think most clubs I've been a memeber of , have always struggled with fleet back enders and arrogant "win at all costs" types at either end of the scale.
Time and resources are the issue, but an informal series of "tuesday" night sailing schools with an instructor present for either keel boats or dinghies for adults can often be just that- informal and unstructured. The alternative is using a weeks holiday on a course or even a whole precious weekend.
 
My home club has a very good once a week  for adults. plus option to join the friday regatta..but it is very sexually discriminating due to it being only for women. Some of us were going to turn up at the regatta weekend they have at the end of the course race in Burkahs and me in a kilt in protest ! ;-)  It is very well organised and we have a dutch sailor who runs it fantastically.
 
People in the UK work daft hours now. Bring back the 9 to 5 and evenings !
 
 


Edited by DFF - 29 Aug 12 at 10:15am
Crewing on a Melges 24, against my better judgement...
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Post Options Post Options   Quote mainelyjw Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Nov 12 at 12:09pm
Hi Everyone-

I learned how to sail on my own this year at age 57 after purchasing my 18 foot Renken in August. My friend Jeff a sailing captain in St. Thomas was going to give me sailing lessons, but was unable to do work. So I taught myself. At first I would take my sailboat and down to a local lake and launch and retrieve it with the outboard a few times before ever lifting the mast and sails. It helped me build up my confidence, so once I lifted the mainsail the first time on my next outing, I was somewhat familiar with my sailboat. From the first day of sailing to the last of this season was an adventure in itself, and yes I am hooked for life in this fantastic sport. If you would like to read more about how I learned how to sail and my experiences, please navigate on over to my blog at www.sailingbeginner.blogspot.com
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