Laser 28 - Excellent example of this great design Hamble le rice |
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Laser 140101 Tynemouth |
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Laser 161752 Tynemouth |
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List classes of boat for sale |
Twenty years from now |
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iiitick ![]() Far too distracted from work ![]() Joined: 04 Jun 14 Location: gb Online Status: Offline Posts: 478 |
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The final element of our training program is 'Start to race' where beginners practice and race against each other.
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Woodbotherer ![]() Posting king ![]() ![]() Joined: 11 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 192 |
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No?, Golf, Rowing, Squash, Tennis, Billiards, Darts, Bowls, Netball, Rounders, no competition there? Without an element of competition it becomes something else, with no pressure and certainly no real need for a club organisation, as sailing clubs, we shouldn't even entertain cruisers or any casual approach all that does is fill the boat park with nettle traps.
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Rupert ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
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Someone who has just learned to play squash is unlikely to play against someone who has been playing competitively for 20+ years, are they? I'm crap at snooker - I'm unlikely to go to a snooker club and take on the club champ - it is simply a mismatch.
The great thing about sailing is that you CAN race against the best - it shouldn't mean that you HAVE to. The idea is to get people enthused at the idea of racing, and to give them some of the skills needed to feel comfortable sailing close to other boats - then they might jump into club racing and actually enjoy it, especially if they join in with others who have been through the same process. |
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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JimC ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662 |
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Au contraire, such people are in some ways the perfect club members helping pay for the facilities but making minimal use of them. If your club is actually stuck for boat park space its a different matter though I admit. Edited by JimC - 29 Jan 15 at 7:10pm |
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Woodbotherer ![]() Posting king ![]() ![]() Joined: 11 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 192 |
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In squash they play in tables and try and work their way up I recall, something we should consider with the handicap system and I believe in Golf you can play alongside Tiger Woods if you like to your handicap so we're not that unique, we just f**k up the potential by not using our grey matter, or should I say 'they' don't use 'their' grey matter.
Disagree with the useless members cluttering up the boat park, those types tend to perform no useful tasks, not rescue boat driver, not race officer, not even galley crew, t**sers mainly that just like to drop the fact they belong to the local sailing club into some social conversation, personally in that regard I like the old system we used to have in that you had to be proposed and seconded and could even be black balled, especially if you designed and made crap old wooden boats
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iiitick ![]() Far too distracted from work ![]() Joined: 04 Jun 14 Location: gb Online Status: Offline Posts: 478 |
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Me and the boy (as he was then) once beat Hannah Mills in the Tiger and mates of mine beat Hiscocks and Draper at the BM. Is there another sport where you can do that?
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Chris 249 ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 10 May 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2041 |
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Is the problem the fact that winning is seen as too important, or is it the fact that because a club race IS a race, those who are uncompetitive feel as if they have failed? In my experience, it's not the people who are racing in an 'intimidating' way at the front who drop out of racing, it's those left a lap back who drop out of racing. From the things many of them say, the problem is not people snarling at them, but the fact that they feel foolish sitting a lap behind the action. Maybe that's the reason that sportifs work well? When the emphasis moves on merely getting from A to B, people don't feel bad about the fact that they were comparatively slow getting there; they feel a sense of achievement because they completed the course, rather than a sense of failure because they completed the course behind everyone else.
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Ha, nice cropping of my quote! You missed the "against the best in the club". Out of those I've only been a member of a squash and tennis club, both of which there was a 'club night' for learning, but not direct competition, when you started the club ran a ladder, so you started at an appropriate level. Not sure about but most team sports have b and c teams. Anyway, a sportive isn't without an element of competition, it's just not a race, but is full of elements which give you tools to move and race if that's what you choose. Learning flags, close boat handling , rounding marks, finishing. And you can practice it all without feeling awkward about your own presence. It seems to have worked at hisc, and I hope it grows next year. The only problem with the start racing type course is it lasts for a few weeks or days, and that's it. Really the program should be permanent fixture which people can progress from at their own speed, if they want to progress at all.
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Bootscooter ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 15 May 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1094 |
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I have noticed in this thread that most of the "negatives" mentioned that may reduce participation in the future are almost all exclusively under the control of individual Clubs, rather than the RYA, so the situation may arise where if these clubs are to survive, they may have to evolve their practices to remain attractive.
When I first started sailing at my club (being brutally honest) it appeared extremely unfriendly to newcomers, to the point where I'm not sure I had a social conversation with any other member for at least 6 months (and those that know me will testify that I'm no wallflower). There was at that time no Youth and Junior sailing as this was carried out partly by the School's set-up at the same water, combined with an over-riding attitude that if you wanted your kids to sail you should take them to Bowmoor and stick them in an Oppie. The clubhouse facilities were ok, but not inviting. This has all changed, with an extremely welcoming attitude from staff and membership, and the whole club takes pride and supports in every possible way our Y&J sailors whole have grown and shown the club in such a good light. Partly because of this programme the club has been able to upgrade it's facilities tremendously and has embraced the opportunity to host events like the Oxford Blue. I'm extremely proud of this transformation under the guidance of a number of forward-thinking Commodores and Committees. It is somewhat sad that such a thing is unusual in a modern sport, but the fact that our new Commodore is a lady (shock-horror!) and in her 20's (gasp!) is demonstrative of what a progressive and inclusive Club we have. |
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Bootscooter ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 15 May 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1094 |
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As for 20 years time... I hope I'll still be sailing and will have a small fleet of boats - a single hander (Laser or *ero), a double hander (505 or similar), a cruising boat of some description and some kids boats for the Grandchildren.
Hopefully I can have retired from my current profession and will have a hobby-job teaching kids to sail and race. I suspect that the future will evolve in to greater focus on racing skills (with a move back to fewer, but stronger classes), and away from the "speed-at-all-cost" classes. I can see a time coming when the kids who've grown up racing in rugby-scrums of Toppers, L4.7s, LRadials, and team-racing in Fireflys realise that tearing around at warp-factor-snot in skiffs and cats with little interaction between boats gets a bit boring after a while. A bit like jet-skis. The standard of racing across clubs will be far, far higher due to the Youth programme of today, but participation will still be similar to now, with dropouts and rejoiners having either similar pressures to now, or different ones, with the same effect. |
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