Demographic Changes

I don't disagree regarding adequate training, hence the food hygiene qualifications. I also agree that there are a fair few coastal clubs with paid hands who most certainly have to comply with all the legislation that comes with selling food for profit. However these clubs while being large and well known, would at an educated guess, not form the mainstay of sailing clubs in the UK, most of which are located on small gravel pits and flooded inland fields.
To start going to the lengths you suggest in a members club is not appropriate. It's like asking that your daughters friends mother or father have a valid food hygiene certificate, safe systems of work and a risk assessment before you allow your princess to go around for a play date and meal. There has to be an element of common sense and some personal acceptance of risks otherwise our culture will collapse.

Originally posted by craiggo I don't disagree regarding adequate training, hence the food hygiene qualifications. I also agree that there are a fair few coastal clubs with paid hands who most certainly have to comply with all the legislation that comes with selling food for profit. However these clubs while being large and well known, would at an educated guess, not form the mainstay of sailing clubs in the UK, most of which are located on small gravel pits and flooded inland fields. To start going to the lengths you suggest in a members club is not appropriate. It's like asking that your daughters friends mother or father have a valid food hygiene certificate, safe systems of work and a risk assessment before you allow your princess to go around for a play date and meal. There has to be an element of common sense and some personal acceptance of risks otherwise our culture will collapse.

Edited by maxibuddah - 02 Feb 15 at 8:57pm

Originally posted by turnturtle Who is to be held accountable when Mavis sends Tarquin into an anaphylactic shock at the Oppy open? I mean how was she to know he had allergies and the cooking oil the bacon was fried in was sesame based? I'm not sure 'we didn't know we had to follow this HACCP thing when selling food' cuts it. Not today, not in the EU anyway.

As it happens my youngest has a very severe allergy to sesame -the photos of him looking like the elephant man after eating a tiny amount of hummus are quite shocking. So in a sense I am glad that caterers now have to be aware of their ingredients, however it is still no substitute for vigilance! I don't k ow where the new law leaves volunteer caterers, but do hope it doesn't make such arrangements untenable.

In answer to your earlier question James, clubs which are not incorporated as limited companies usually have some members nominated as trustees - which does leave them personally liable.

Getting back to sailing, and not promoting TTs new Burger van that he sold his Solo to get, here's some long term numbers.

I took the average Champs turnout for the years 2012-2014 and compared them with the average turnout for 1982-1984. The number is the current turnout as a percentage of the turnout twenty years ago. Unfortunately I only had combined figures for the Laser Champs turnout back then.

RS Feva     New
RS Tera     New
29er     New
RS400     New
Optimist     380%
International Moth     299%
Laser (Std Radial and 4.7)     230%
Topper     230%
Solo     156%
420     124%
GP14     105%
Albacore     78%
Merlin Rocket     71%
Osprey     62%
Cadet     58%
Mirror     56%
Lark     51%
National 12     48%
Scorpion     48%
Fireball     47%
Firefly     47%
International 14     40%
Enterprise     36%
505     23%

Those are interesting numbers. By gut I'd have thought the Solo had grown much more proportionally than the Laser. Also suprised to see the 420 has grown, albeit more slowly than other youth classes.