Twenty years from now

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.

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.

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.

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

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.