Nationals Attendances

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Though whether championships (or any competitive sports event) are purely about finding out who is best is debatable - people attend championships with many different motivations/goals. When classes (or rather the front-of-fleet sailors that make up the bulk of committees) forget that and espouse 'hard cheese' attitudes the likely result is a tailing off of attendance.

Also the general decline in participation across the sport perhaps means the natural churn in the mid/back fleet was masked when the sport was more popular, with a continual stream of new people, but now appears as significant peaks and troughs with fewer new people coming in.

Sargesail. It isn't the only factor but it certainly seems to be one of them - that is judging from some of the comments I've had over the last three weeks. It isn't just the Wind Guru thing but some six weeks ago we were warned of an extended period of unsettled weather with rain and strong winds. The result of this 'climate change' (I'm using the words carefully for I do not know if it is or if this is just a statistical blip) is that a number of lower mid fleet sailors that I have spoken to are questioning the value to them of attending. Is this a detail in the bigger picture that yet has to be understood? That the hot shots will still be there at the front of the fleet, but the bigger numbers further down are starting to question what they are attending for?  If so, it is certainly a new dynamic that will change the nature of the annual gatherings. I'm seeing something but right now, I'm not sure quite what it is. Demographics are playing a part too.....in the end, the answer might well be the classic 'all of the above'!

D

Davidyacht: I am well aware of the failings, on both sides, that took place during the event you refer to, but think it a bit sad that PSC are being pilloried unfairly. As I said, there were failings on both sides but this is hardly the forum for airing just one side of the grievances. I was at Hayling Island recently and would rather be here than there (and that is from some who lives on the IOW).I'm at PSC now and have seen them working hard across the week to make the Merlin Champs a success. I'm then staying on here to cover the IC worlds so will be able to give an better informed and reasoned view in 10 days time.

But is it really just a case that it is being held at PSC? I don't think so and will do a short article looking back at the week here. Instead, if there is one factor that has hit the success of this week it has to be the weather - it has been grotty since day one. The Wind Guru/XC weather effect that we often talk about is in plain view here.

However, all this is just part of a bigger picture. Defining what that bigger picture is, wow, that is a task and a half and I've little doubt that the RYA will continue to fund Consultant activity as they look at rebuilding the grassroots of the sport - if that is what they might want to do. And that is an even bigger question...do they even want to do it!

D

Ventnor/IOW

Dougal, do you not think this light hearted discussion is the fun that is lacking in sailing ?

This banter is what I enjoy when racing, abusing other helms/crews, just keep it light, but make sure you beat them.

I've just arrived up at Pwllheli and have been at the club today looking at the Merlin Nationals. Thinking that there might be a story here for me I was keen to find out the reasons for being there and why they thought others had stayed away. It is a complex topic, yet one that is very important to the health of our sport; maybe far too important to trivialize with a discourse on the price of fish and chips. This is now the 5th Championship that I have been at in the last 3 weeks (3 of those I've been RO for) and the one theme that comes up time and time again is 'value for money'. That isn't just financial value but that far more intangible "was it worth it" question. A good example of this was the Hornets around the corner at Colwyn Bay. Some questionable organisation and horribly sh*te weather left one stalwart in the class wondering why he had bothered. Then the final day gave perfect Hornet sailing and on speaking to him again, his attitude had changed, "This" he enthused "is what it is all about".

I really think our perception of the weather is a key factor. Back to the Merlins - they have had a run of championships with less than summery weather and I got a strong feeling that this was more of the same. I think the comments about Plas Heli - the sailing centre at Pwllheli were unhelpful - looking at it with a quizzical eye, it scores all round against both Weymouth and Hayling Island. Okay, it isn't South Coast but maybe that might be a stronger reason to come here than some of the over priced and over hyped so called 'popular venues'. Yet the other side of the argument is that the south coast fleshspots do have that added attraction. One of our most popular single handed classes can attract 130+ boats, yet a superbly organised event the following year, at a top club on the east coast, got jus over half that number.

Maybe the bigger question is if the decline in Nationals attendance is a symptom or a cause of the wider malaise that is impacting on dinghy racing. Cue the chorus of "we've never had it so good" but as one who spends his days looking at the sport, I've never seen it so bad!

Dougal/Ventnor/Isle of Wight