Sport in Turmoil

Originally posted by Oinks

I'd imagine that a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to assist with those broad objectives.  I know I came in off the water at my club this week only to be congratulated by someone in an RYA gilet thanking me for putting on a good show from the clubhouse windows whilst they had their meeting.  (I took the credit and thanked him, but it was probably the kids doing their freestyle thing that he actually saw, not me cornering at 20 knots and falling in a lot.)
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.  

Edited by kneewrecker - 09 Oct 15 at 9:27am