National Class Scheme for Grown Ups

All becoming very divisive.
David H recently warned RYA thinking was turning towards pre War elitism.
Presumably Foilers at top of tree, followed by?
What is considered to be elite classes?
Comet zero National champion already assigned to bottom.

'Old farts' .. are not necessarily that old at all.  It is, if anything, an attitude that always suggests that 'times past' are of course the model to follow.. conveniently forgetting all the **** stuff that went with it.   They also often seek 'more control' and limitation as the solution to almost any problem.

Equally do remember there are plenty with more than a few miles on the clock are NOT 'Old farts' in their approach at all.. 

Seems to me, the 20-35 age group at least has all come up through the youth system and know all about fleet racing, large events and all the rest of of it, together with training, coaching and technique way beyond what most of my generation ever experienced. So for people like me to tell them how to have fun sailing would be worse than pointless, it would be plain ridiculous. How can a sailor of say 25 possibly want or need guidance from me about what boats to sail or what kind of events to do? Hell most of them have done more major International events than I have!

TBH the thing I'd most like to know is how to get that generation more involved in running the sport 'cause its much more fun to sit back and reminisce about the wonderful way things used to be than it it is to try and second guess how they want things set up now. I know its a popular meme to say the old farts won't let go, but I reckon that's another one of those "everyone knows" things that is b****x. Go on under 30s, get involved in running your clubs. Put your names down for those elections. My only advice would be to keep a couple of the old b******s around so that you can learn what their mistakes were in order to avoid repeating them. But only a couple.

Edited by JimC - 27 Sep 17 at 11:01pm

I've heard it all now, comparing a week ski-snowboarding with a regatta week? You can't get more chalk and cheese, one is fun and frivolity from start to finish the other is a competitive dirge with all manner of rule pitfalls and disciplines to follow or be binned.

Edited by iGRF - 27 Sep 17 at 9:35pm

From the barely veiled condescending title to several "I'm so smart and clever" contributions this has been for me an overwhelmingly unpleasant read.