Twenty years from now

Clubs are the future of sailing, yes there will always be people in their vans turning up clubless to events or just to explore different waters however if more people are going to sail which is what our activity needs the clubs are still the most easily visible way in.

So the next 20yrs of sailing will be formed by what happens at the grass roots.

Here in the land of Far Far Away few people want to own boats but they want to sail so our club strategy is moving away from individual ownership to group ownership by providing safe stable easy to sail boats which you do not need to change your clothes to use. Ordinary walking gear and a BA are enough. (Think Devon Yawl)

As far as racing goes they're just as good as anything else, but more inclusive.

In Bethwaites Higher Performance book he talks a lot about sailing simulators. I have never seen or heard of one in the UK. There are loads of people flying flight sims in their front rooms some with full cockpits and 3D movement.

My prediction for the future is the rise of the home sailing simulator, literally a short section of boat that you can really sail, heel, rudder loads, main loads, trim etc. Sail in front of your new 4K  50" telly. All the software and control systems are there already. Buy one and really race at home.

This is why boats like the Laser have a future even if the class does implode. They can be picked up cheap as chips and get you racing anywhere.

The club question is interesting.
I sail from a largish club, with a high, albeit declining membership.
There is a great youth (i.e. 16 under) programme, but there isn't a great deal after that. Certainly by the time those 16 year olds without direction have gone to uni they are almost completely wiped off the membership.
There are plenty of 50+ members who will no doubt fight it out for the race committee positions, but there are few people that I can see that will be there as weekend warriors, week in, week out like you see today.
Am I just not old enough to have seen/understood the cycle? do they flood out of the woordwork? is it a case of them starting up in their thirties when their kids are sailing fevas and optimists?

There are a lot of clubs I know of, that I personally do not think will be there in 5 years time, forgetting a 20 year prediction. However a lot of those clubs have looked in that state for the last 20 years and are still here, usually held together by old men with beards looking for some place to keep their fishing boat

The club where I sail has one member between 18 & 45 years of age, only 4 members younger than 18 years of age, 80% of members are over 60 years old, of this 80% most are around 70 years old, the committee is comprised of one member under 18 the rest are older than 50.

Originally posted by Rupert Or maybe they enjoy the smaller water to sail on, and the way the clubs feel like they have a stake in the future of it, whereas at the big club they would simply feel a little lost.