Laser 140101 Tynemouth |
![]() |
Laser 28 - Excellent example of this great design Hamble le rice |
![]() |
Laser 161752 Tynemouth |
![]() |
List classes of boat for sale |
Promoting Sailing Clubs |
Post Reply ![]() |
Page <1 34567 10> |
Author | |
iiiitick ![]() Groupie ![]() Joined: 18 Dec 14 Location: England Online Status: Offline Posts: 43 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posted: 08 Jan 15 at 11:38am |
Well, do we define sailing as a sport? If we have new family members appear at the club we do not push racing. However if said family turns up and proclaims a lack of interest in competition...then we know they will not last. They may be good for one or two years of flapping an old GP round looking at the view but soon they will be off to the sunny uplands of cricket or horses. Racing is what keeps us going, be it against your old mates at home or further afield in championships or opens.
We are a racing club, that is why we are there, that is what supports our membership. Does Sport England money help? Probably not much, the showers are better and we have mains electricity. Life is more comfortable but does it encourage new members? Probably not.
|
|
![]() |
|
turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
time to see if you can raise a capital leasing arrangement on a fleet of Aeros or Zeros then? You can't get much simpler.... pull the sail up (whichever one you want based on the conditions), go racing....
|
|
![]() |
|
iGRF ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6499 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Whilst I tend to agree that the 'activity' of sailing is unlikely to go away, what I do fear for, is the "sport' of sailing rather than the 'pastime' it represents and to most of us on this forum, it is the 'sport' that defines our interest.
So our problem is more the continued promotion of the competitive aspects and the need to deal with all the 'problems' that surround it, not wishing to have this thread descend into another PY discussion, those of us that are at the sharp end of club promotion do have a vested interest in the perception of fair and interesting competition, particularly at the lower skill levels. If we are going to maintain our interest, it is important that in this dumbed down age, things are easier to understand and a more 'instant access' approach is considered to the 'product' we are all effectively selling. So an occasional 'coming together' wether it be by forum, virtual or actual, or conference of club officers as I think someone mentioned back a bit earlier in this thread. I'm not sure the Dinghy show is the right venue, I don't know about everyone else but my show is still for selfish purposes wether to see exciting new kit or meet folk I haven't seen for a bit and chew the fat. I really think an annual water based get together wether to appraise new gear, or talk about yardsticks, or tuition methods, or other mutual interests would be of some help. |
|
![]() |
|
turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
I can agree with you to a level - if they are self-sufficient and self-financing then big or small, what's the problem? Where I do think we can enter in some meaningful discussion, hopefully without too much emotion, is whether any club, big or small, should receive subsidies from the Government or anyone of its quangos or filtering processes involving the RYA, and if so, where a good use of this resource should be focused given the declining participation numbers.... maybe time for different thread.
|
|
![]() |
|
iiiitick ![]() Groupie ![]() Joined: 18 Dec 14 Location: England Online Status: Offline Posts: 43 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Fleaberto...Manor Park? We did drive there once but came from the North through the countryside. I was impressed with your facilities and the youthful exuberance we witnessed. Where are you near where is your nearest centre of mass population? Where do you drawer your membership from?
|
|
![]() |
|
Rupert ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
My experience very similar to Fleaberto, even though I've been a member of some sailing club, somewhere since I was 9 years old, and Fleaberto is fairly new to the sport.
I have no objection to any club, big or small - what I object to is the attitude (and you see it with the smaller classes, too) that they "ought to go for the good of the sport". In my view, utter, unadulterated, disrespectful crap. |
|
Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
|
|
![]() |
|
fleaberto ![]() Far too distracted from work ![]() Joined: 12 Jan 09 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 302 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
We have a very successful Junior Sail setup. Anything from 20 to 45 kids every Saturday morning through their season and around 15-ish on a Wednesday evening.
From this we've been able to 'sell' sailing to the various parents and setup various courses to suit them on a Saturday afternoon. The bonus here is that the kids just love messing around with new pals getting soaked all day, the parents get to keep their offspring occupied very cheaply and get to learn a new skill - as well as discovering why we do this in the first place. The parents are also heavily involved in the running of Junior Sail, so they feel invested in it and feel very much part of the club. We pick up plenty of family memberships through the year as 'Junior' gets converted. Once we have the families pootling around our very picturesque lakes - and get them to spend time doing impromptu Summer barbecues etc: 2It's your club, use the facilities..." we can then work on advanced training and racing. We've had kids go from never seeing a Dinghy a few years ago to passing their DI courses just a few weeks back - a great life skill at such an early age. Adults who did their Level One are now doing Level Two, Level three and even seamanship just one or two seasons later. All of our courses are modular so we get these people out on the water all the time...sailing becomes ingrained and part of their regular routine. We arrange AI training too, again looking at parents and the juniors, giving a real sense of belonging. This also helps with the supply of future DI's and keeps memberships healthy - in fact, we have a waiting list for our not-inconsiderably sized boat park. We attract people, initially, via Open Days and, last year, by displaying at a local village day - which was very very successful. Offer a booked, free sailing session and a cup of tea and just see the result. Plenty of new members signed up and exposes the club to people that didn't know we were there. Again, we use the kids as the driver to setup word of mouth at school, though we also use our faffbook page and website as well as local free press and news websites. We've also recently done a cost breakdown to show that a club membership will cost less than sending the sprogs to football each week and that contrary to popular thought, a boat doesn't have to cost a fortune. All very persuasive and supportive We focus very much on families and social sailing first and that gets the numbers in - people are put off if we mention 'racing' straight away, so we barely mention it. Once they're in, though, we'll try to get a few out crewing or just encourage the idea that actually racing is a laugh and improves your skills extremely quickly. On a Summer's Saturday, when I'm sat on the club patio watching people just having an absolute ball either on or off the water, it always makes me smile. |
|
Lightning368 'All the Gear' (409), Lightning368 'Sprite' (101), Laser (big number) 'Yellow Jack', RS Vareo (432)'The Golden Rays'
|
|
![]() |
|
turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Timelord - my apologies if my post was perceived to be digging at any one person or post - I was talking more generically about attitudes in the local area amongst the small band of sailors who live nowhere near the sea.
It serves the petty purposes of some to maintain an old perception about Draycote, one it has fought hard to shake off over the recent years. Whether that message of change gets out or not, who knows, they can but try and rely on members and friends to challenge that whenever they come across it. It also seemed churlish not to mention it when discussing how a sailing club is perceived and communicates in light of others who mention the club by name. There is also a discussion point raised by Getafix about long term thinking.... I think he's bang on the money, even more so for inlanders without the natural community support of somewhere coastal. Whether there will be enough dinghy sailors left to justify all the clubs in this area in say, 20 years will be something we either a) actively manage or b) leave to natural selection. My childrens's school has an active dinghy sailing programme for juniors (Age 7+)- something quite unique in the area - but I can also tell you that most of the children (and parents by association) absolutely hate it- cold, wet and boring are the usual criticisms.... and when you see them head off in the minibus with a big BA over their PE kit and a thin anorak you can't help but empathise. i'm undecided, well more apprehensive tbh, about whether to 'get involved' when my eldest reaches juniors next year - it could be social suicide given the strength of feeling amongst the other parents and children. But I can't help but think a change of venue to one with reasonable kit, and possibly a step away from the traditional sailing school approach to more of a T-15 club but with dinghies too, might make it a bit more fun. I think it's unrealistic to think that the sport will reverse in popularity, especially in land locked areas without the beach culture to support it. I also think it's unrealistic to expect this part of the world to suddenly get time and cash rich, and if they did I reckon the default spend would be holidays and travel, not niche sports club memberships anyway.
Edited by turnturtle - 08 Jan 15 at 10:32am |
|
![]() |
|
Time Lord ![]() Far too distracted from work ![]() Joined: 03 Dec 13 Location: Warwickshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 301 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Turnturle
If you care to look back at my original post, I very deliberately did not name the large club to which I was referring and was merely using this as an example to counter Peaky's original post in which he was saying that small clubs were clichy and unfriendly to newcomers. Chrisq subsequently named the large club. Its all a case of horses for courses. If someone is sailing in one of the main fleets at the large club then they will, I suspect, be made very welcome by that fleet but I can only repeat that we regularly see people who comment how much friendlier and less impersonal is our small club. We also have training on tap, a professionally cleaned clubhouse, an oversubscribed junior section and an even more beautiful setting in glorious countryside. We don't have the professional rescue cover which is needed on your large water but only do 2 race duties a year. |
|
Merlin Rocket 3609
|
|
![]() |
|
turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
definitely on track for taking the top two posts of 2015.... I do find it amusing to see Draycote positioned as some big, impersonal club. That might have been the situation 10, maybe 15 years ago; I know when I first walked in there and was essentially turned away because I said I wanted to bring a Lark... 'ooh, we don't sail them round here'.... but really now, it's just the same as any other sailing club with all the same problems many face.... oddly enough, it turned out there would have been no problem with a Lark, I just happened to meet the wrong old giffer at the gates. However unlike some of the other options, it has the best rescue facilities of any club I know in the UK (was it last year or the year before when the guys breathed life back into a young woman who had become entrapped on her Dad's fireball?). I've lost count of the financial savings I've had when windsurfing went wrong and there was someone to pick up the bits rather than paddle a board in, rig off downwind to Belgium..... Try as I might to bitch about the membership fee, every year it has been more or less cost neutral when you factor in everything the guys who run the place do for the members. Coupled with the open water experience; a sheltered corner for beginners; cleanish winds (for a puddle); a choice of proper racing or the shandicapping for the eclectic, windsurfing, kayaking and of course, an active youth section, I think it's fair to say it offers the broadest, therefore best spectrum of sailing available in the area. Other factors like a beautiful country park setting (have you seen the new playground with the childrens cycle track?); a broad mix of ages and skill levels; first rate training and of course, enough karaoke and quiz night specials for all those who are fond of that sort of butt clenchingly awkward social engagement, I really think its time the old perception of a big, impersonal club died off a bit. Unlikely to happen though when there's other local clubs snipping in the background with what comes across as nothing more than sour grapes and envy... oh well, what is it they say, survival of the fittest n' all that. Sure, I really really wish there was a group of 20+ members identified who were willing to run a consecutive demo on Aeros, Zeros and possibly Blazes... with the sole intention that we bought en masse, using some group purchasing power; I'd even be willing to compromise and have a bog standard colour. I'm confident that it could even attract new members too- it certainly the case at graham where the D-Zero fleet is pulling in new members eager to get involved. But pipe dreaming about that doesn't detract from everything else the club offers. and if I haven't been clear enough, that's catering for anything from Moths, Cats, 49ers right through to fleet racing in Fireballs, 15s, Solos, Lasers, Miracles and a small, but gradually improving handicap fleet for anyone else with some weird or newfangled contraption. There's also training on tap, informal sailing/training sessions that aren't advertised, an on site chandlery, showers that are professionally cleaned (no 'house' duties!), a new bar and the biggest selling point, 100% rescue cover for when it goes to sh*t with your kids onboard. Any other local sailors would be more than welcome to come along... in fact there are a few posters on here I could almost guarantee would be willing to sign you in for a day's racing. It's not as big and scary as you might think....
Edited by turnturtle - 08 Jan 15 at 9:47am |
|
![]() |
Post Reply ![]() |
Page <1 34567 10> |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions ![]() You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |