Expensive Sports...

I think it quite probable that the every dog has its day aspect of handicap racing is part of its appeal, but as, to me, the real aim of club racing should be that as many folk as possible have a fun days sailing, I don't see that as a problem.

To me amateur sports clubs should be there to serve people as they are, not to try and guide them into what some authority thinks they ought to be. That, in my day at least, was the role of School sport.

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by bustinben it's all about cereal eating competitions... and you're the only one with shreddies Tell me I've got to eat cornflakes and I'll stay at home. As I've said before its just b******s that people like class racing. They feel they should say they do, but the actions don't match the words. If it were true then it would be really hard to introduce new classes, and really easy to keep a fleet going at a club. But as anyone who's tried will tell you the really hard bit is to keep a fleet together once formed. Yes back in the 70s many clubs had only approved classes, and they almost all have handicap fleets now. Why? because people would rather not sail at all than sail a boat they don't like, and once the boom was over (in those days many clubs even had waiting lists!) the approved fleet thing cost too many subscriptions.

Not universally true. My club leases the fishing rights for our Thames Water reservoir and prohibit fishing.

Originally posted by zippyRN Originally posted by JimC Thing is the big clubs are the most expensive, and so are the big classes. Add to that increased travel time to fewer clubs and you're pushing an awful lot of people out of the sport. Big inland clubs  are often on reservoirs and the water companies   being  (ex)public sector love their rules and regs , compared tothe attitude taken by the aggegate companies who are quite happy to turn over the vast majority of  responsibilities for management of what is their 'waste'  ...

The reason inland water is expensive is often that sailing has to compete with trout fishing, which generates serious money.
Maybe sport just exists to use up all our spare money? If all boats were half the price, I'd buy a more expenssive one....

Originally posted by JimC Thing is the big clubs are the most expensive, and so are the big classes. Add to that increased travel time to fewer clubs and you're pushing an awful lot of people out of the sport.