Arresting the decline, does the RYA need replacing

spot on , as  coaching can take so many forms and depends on the people and boats available 

 skills and drills can be done   'alone' - does the current instructor handbook still have the 21  boat handling / racing skills exercises  listed along with  two -boat tuning  - a good number of them can be done  solo or  just with oversight   - this  is the 'barre work'   to pinch  term from ballet. 

if you have two boats of the same class   you can start doing some two boat tuning  and so on ... 

exactly , for some reason 21ft 2in keeps popping into my head   with this discussion  - it's the  'standard'  mast rake for  Ents  and has been for  25 or so years  https://www.sailboats.co.uk/media/datasheets/enterprise_tuning_guide.pdf

If it is a club boat, I'd expect someone in the club to ensure that controls actually work, even if very simple. If a private boat, then help from a kindly soul at the right moment is often appreciated, so long as done in a straightforward, non blinding by science way.

 

making sure that you can get  your 21ft 2 and 18ft 6  and 400lbs ( substitute  relevant figures for whatever class )  is  the baseline 

it is amazing how much harder work it is to sail a boat that is poorly set up from basics like  that  ( weather  helm  or even lee helm ,  won't point  .... ) all to do with the centres of effort / resistance.  
 
(quote)
This is something that really helps people who have just started racing. Tact can be needed, though, when all you really want to say is "throw it away and get something that works". Even with an old clunker, though, there are free or cheap ways to make it sail better.[/QUOTE]

true  ,  optimise what you have  but sometimes with sails in particualr   they are so shagged out   putting it down  is the best option 

Well said and 1000% correct. And even if the back of the fleet remain there, at least in-club coaching makes them feel that they are valued members of the fleet who can have more fun sailing.

We had a lot of success growing fleets where we'd just say "we'll do some coaching in three weeks time if anyone is interested" and the only payment ever accepted was a bottle of wine. Informal but effective.