Sport in Turmoil

Anyway, my point is I don't know what that RYA meeting was for, nor do I really care too deeply.... but I bet it was something 'grass roots' or 'regional' related given its midlands location and the time of year.  

Do I think clubs should do more to encourage class racing?  Yes, absolutely.... and if grant money could be used to promote it, then if it's available, I'd say go for it.  

One of my strongest memories of transitioning from youth sailing (Oppies, Topper - briefly, 420 and Lasers) was the move into handicap racing.... it always did suck if there weren't enough of us 'properly racing' to turn a blind eye to the corrected time results.  Fortunately back then there were still enough of us in 420s and Lasers (114/115 in old money) that we take a rather skeptical view towards the corrected time winners and losers- we raced together, as mates, accepting the 420s had the edge in a F4 or above, but the Lasers were king of the Wednesday Night series.    

Just think of the reams of bullsh*t this forum alone has contributed to 'trying to improve' the handicap system... really, it just doesn't work.  The proliferation of classes at a local club level and the general move towards PY as some sort of panacea to correct the damage that mishmash in the dinghy park does to racing, well it only goes to accelerate fractionating the sport of sailing further into an utter irrelevance.  

I am sure that the majority of posters on here most certainly do see it as a sport and are passionate about it's promotion as such.

However

I also think that the majority who participate in sailing in all it's forms see it for themselves as a pastime albeit an absorbing one and have little interest in the racing side. 

Contrast that with. Football, most of the supporters probably haven't even kicked a ball for years. Athletics, most of the participants compete at some level. New wave cyclists, even if they don't compete from their riding wear they clearly identify with the racing side.   

Yes. Absolutely.