No big events in youth boats/more Swallows&Amazons

To add to this 'argument' about how correct surveys usually are, it really only depends on who answers them, if you get a large number of people answering them, of all different groups, then it is usually right, but if only a few people answer the survey, as they maybe didn't know about it, didn't have time to answer, and things like that, which tend to be more often, then the first option. Therefore most surveys are wrong, but it doesn't mean to say they are not right.

Edited by Max McCarthy - 01 Feb 12 at 4:40pm

 

Originally posted by winging it T It also shows that if we really cared about getting more people sailing and racing, we'd be looking more at encouraging women and those from the ethnic minorities.

I've got no idea where to find the actual numbers, but I've got the impression that the gender balance is rather better at youth level, and that the drop-out-and-never-return rate is worse with girls? A general push that sees better retention might help this?

Originally posted by winging it That age group is too great to pin the decline in racing on the youth scehemes.  It's a very interesting survey and poinbts out that canoeing/kayaking is very popular with the young, suggesting this is because it is an accessible sport - relatively cheap, easy to get into etc, which contrasts strongly with dinghy racing. It also shows that if we really cared about getting more people sailing and racing, we'd be looking more at encouraging women and those from the ethnic minorities. The good news was that use of personal watercraft is in decline

Indeed, it is a fair point, but it suggests that the present focus doesn't do much to improve participation or keep people in the sport afterwards either.

Kayaking is indeed very popular and on the up - the arrival or rotomoulded sit-on-tops seems to be a big part of the success, no need to learn to eskimo roll, cheaper and very little maintenance.  Seems to me (as one of the people attracted to kayaking due to the sit-on-tops) that there's very little emphasis on racing and that while serious kayakers are still a bit sniffy about the rotomoulds (just as in dinghy sailing) they're starting to realise it's a bit of a windfall in getting people into the sport.

A few issues here.
1) We shouldn't be telling people not to do things, but it's good to offer alternatives
2) People in their 20's are more likely to go to Uni than 20 years ago, particularly, I suspect, those of the socio-economic (class?) groups who do dinghy sailing as youngsters. When I was a kid, kids from my club went into a whole variety of jobs, much less than half went to college. Now the majority at my club seem to go to college so disappear for 3 years or longer.
3) Boats are expensive, the culture of sailing cheap old boats is not fashionable it seems? When I graduated, I bought a boat for £300, OK that would be £600 now, but people now consider my RS400 a bit cheapskate being a 3-digit number, they won't look at the immense amount of fun you can have racing sub-£1k boats.
4) It can actually be good to have  break from dinghy sailing. I don't regret playing yachts and keelboats for a few years. I'm glad to be back into dinghy racing, but might do more yachting again if my knees explode.

I think the present system is good for the top talent, but like most sports, most people in sailing are nearer average, do it for enjoyment and relaxation. Perhpas we need some sort of pathway to a better level of relaxing, pleasurable mediocrity which is the grassroots of amateur sport? It has to be OK to take part, try hard and not do very well. That's easier to understand when you are middle-aged!

I agree with Jim, though I don't think it's something you can legislate for.  The change would have to come from the grassroots of the sport, and whether that will happen before sailing shrinks too far...

For those claiming the fleet sizes for the youth events 'prove' that they are the best way to organise youth sailing, I'd point you in the direction of the 2010 Watersports Participation Survey, Page 30:

"Participation rates have halved in many sports since 2002 among the 16-34 age group.  Particularly affected are (starting with the most affected):
-Small sail boat racing"

http://www.britishmarine.co.uk/upload_pub/WatersportsandLeisureOmnibusreport2010.pdf

So, if the present youth system works so well, how can this be the case???