New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Twenty years from now
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Twenty years from now

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 34567 17>
Author
JohnJack View Drop Down
Far too distracted from work
Far too distracted from work


Joined: 12 Mar 13
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 246
Post Options Post Options   Quote JohnJack Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Twenty years from now
    Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 2:32pm
How many sailing clubs will be left in 20 years time?

I am sure this is part of another post.
We have three small clubs in relatively close proximity. 2 with torrid water (1 river, 1 tiny lake) but brilliant socials sides, t'other with decent sized lake but with no real social side.

If you could merge all three at the better water, then you would have one of the best sailing clubs in the region.

Shame really, the RYA keeps plowing loads of money into all three where there could be one super club
Back to Top
rogerd View Drop Down
Really should get out more
Really should get out more
Avatar

Joined: 25 May 04
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1076
Post Options Post Options   Quote rogerd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 2:46pm
Originally posted by JohnJack

<span style="line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">How many sailing clubs will be left in 20 years time?</span>

<span style="line-height: 16.7999992370605px;"></span>
<span style="line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">I am sure this is part of another post.</span>
<span style="line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">We have three small clubs in </span>relatively<span style="line-height: 16.7999992370605px;"> close proximity. 2 with torrid water (1 river, 1 tiny lake) but brilliant socials sides, t'other with decent sized lake but with no real social side.</span>
<span style="line-height: 16.7999992370605px;"></span>
If you could merge all three at the better water, then you would have one of the best sailing clubs in the region.
Shame really, the RYA keeps plowing loads of money into all three where there could be one super club

Yes but you are not accounting for the big fish in those small ponds, they will defend their big fishiness and wont see the bigger picture.
Back to Top
Rupert View Drop Down
Really should get out more
Really should get out more


Joined: 11 Aug 04
Location: Whitefriars sc
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8956
Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 2:47pm
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.
Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
Back to Top
jeffers View Drop Down
Really should get out more
Really should get out more
Avatar

Joined: 29 Mar 04
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3048
Post Options Post Options   Quote jeffers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 3:02pm
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.

Where I sail we are around 10 miles from Grafham Water so definitely the little relation.

That said we attract a different demographic to them and have even attracted members from them who prefer the feel of a smaller club. we have had people go the other way too who want bigger water and large fleets to sail in.

For me I prefer the smaller club. It gives my eldest daughter somewhere safe to sail and it is affordable (the fees are less than 1/3rd of Grafham). If Grafham was the option I would not be sailing today as I simply could not justify the year on year expense for the small amount I am doing these days.
Paul
----------------------
D-Zero GBR 74
Back to Top
fab100 View Drop Down
Really should get out more
Really should get out more
Avatar

Joined: 15 Mar 11
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1005
Post Options Post Options   Quote fab100 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 3:13pm
Originally posted by jeffers

Originally posted by fab100

Originally posted by Thunder Road

How many sailing clubs will be left in 20 years time?

There's the absolute nub.

I believe that, unless we do something radical and soon, the 'missing generation' means club-sailor numbers will plummet when we 1970s sailing boomers finally hang up our wetsuits, at which point I can imagine at least 50% of dinghy clubs will become uneconomic and disappear.

Einstein defined madness is repeatedly doing the same thing but expecting a different outcome. 

The point at which the RYA will twig this, and realise they have completely destroyed grass-roots sailing in exchange for a few shiny trinkets (aka olympic medals), is when they find they don't have sufficient kids coming along to be cannon fodder for the next medalist to clamber over on their way to the top. By then it will be too late and the damage may well be irreparable. What a waste.

The only hope is we kick some sense into them before it is too late, although sailing falling out of the accursed olympics might help too. I am not optimistic: not many revolutions are led by near-pensioners


Some dinghy clubs have very active youth sections (to the point of bursting at the seams). 

Hunts went through a worrying patch about 7 or 8 years back now but is in much ruder health membership wise now than it was all thanks to having a great training arm. This is what gets the kids out and many parents have given it a go too.

We have a thriving youth section too, and have had forever. 

But the missing generation i refer too is the 20-40 year olds - the youth of yesteryear perhaps who for whatever reason have dropped out of sailing in unprecedented numbers and show no signs of returning. Who runs all the youth programmes when we are too old and there is no one following along?
Back to Top
423zero View Drop Down
Really should get out more
Really should get out more


Joined: 08 Jan 15
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3420
Post Options Post Options   Quote 423zero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 3:23pm
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.
Back to Top
jeffers View Drop Down
Really should get out more
Really should get out more
Avatar

Joined: 29 Mar 04
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3048
Post Options Post Options   Quote jeffers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 3:42pm
Originally posted by fab100

 
We have a thriving youth section too, and have had forever. 

But the missing generation i refer too is the 20-40 year olds - the youth of yesteryear perhaps who for whatever reason have dropped out of sailing in unprecedented numbers and show no signs of returning. Who runs all the youth programmes when we are too old and there is no one following along?

Most clubs see that and a lot of people either stop sailing at Uni or go team racing. We are seeing a few return after Uni back to the club if they move back to the area but predominantly it is families who join where the parents have an interest in sailing or want to get back in to it (or the kids have shown an interest). They tend to be in their early 30's with kids around 8-10 years old.
Paul
----------------------
D-Zero GBR 74
Back to Top
Jamesd View Drop Down
Far too distracted from work
Far too distracted from work


Joined: 01 Feb 08
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 377
Post Options Post Options   Quote Jamesd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 3:56pm
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


Back to Top
SUGmeister View Drop Down
Sailwave Moderators
Sailwave Moderators
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jun 07
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 265
Post Options Post Options   Quote SUGmeister Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 4:05pm
For what it's worth if you're looking into the future of sailing as a viable sport 20 years hence then in my opinion grass roots sailing needs to be serviced by cheap, really cheap boats. Forget about your foils and other high tech stuff make ok boats cheap. I don't know what the relative value of plywood boats were in their heyday but I can only see sailing surviving in quantity if you can have good supply of cheap durable low tech boats designed to carry weight.

Boats today are just too expensive, perhaps RS have cottoned on to that with their Aero, would it be any worse if it were made slightly heavier but more cheaply?


Edited by SUGmeister - 27 Jan 15 at 4:08pm
Simon SUGmeister
I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
Back to Top
jeffers View Drop Down
Really should get out more
Really should get out more
Avatar

Joined: 29 Mar 04
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3048
Post Options Post Options   Quote jeffers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 15 at 4:09pm
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 Aero and Zero are the only 2 real credible replacements but until they reach critical mass and have a good secondhand market they will always be trailing behind the Laser.
Paul
----------------------
D-Zero GBR 74
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 34567 17>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.665y
Copyright ©2001-2010 Web Wiz
Change your personal settings, or read our privacy policy