SNAKES!

Not exactly sure what you think is wrong with RYA approach ? 

http://www.marinebusinessworld.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=882&PN=1&title=is-dinghy-sailing-on-the-decline

Originally posted by sargesail There is a small minority in the sailing world, who are a vocal minority here but drip enough BS to sound like a majority, who are just anti RYA. I have kids who are loving their squad work.  I recognise some of the coach behaviours criticised earlier in this thread, but not from their RYA training.  I thought about commenting but life is too short. But I'd still challenge anyone who claims the sport is in decline to provide some hard evidence.

*applauds wildly*

What I see at my club is no drop in the numbers sailing and racing (and we've seen an increase in adults and kids participating on courses at our sister organisation), but a drop off in membership renewals, ie those people that continue their membership year after year without sailing much, if at all.

Looks like a bit of belt-tightening to me, which is perfectly natural in the current climate. I'll not go in depth on the youth side right now, but whilst I think the RYA (through their Squad Coaches)could do more to help retain within the sport those that don't make the next squad, perhaps clubs could be more proactive in this as well.

Edited by Bootscooter - 25 Jan 18 at 10:08am

They probably only feel there is no need for a car if they live in a big town or city with good infrastructure meaning they don't have to pay 10 times the value of the car in insurance premiums. I would imagine those premiums are the single biggest turn off from owning a car rather than directly from a society driven change. Society is changing because of it. It will though have a knock on to any activity that is not local

It seems lots of traditional sports activities are allegedly in decline, Golf clubs casting about for members where once there were waiting lists Tennis Clubs, Squash clubs all the activities our generation grew up with seem to be struggling as latter day snowflakes look elsewhere for their bite sized instant gratification.
Dinghy sailing in my world and sphere of influence hasn't declined but then the sports we moved from has (windsurfing), the world is fluid, so the watch word is continue promotion of the activity you love and endeavour to enthuse others. Which is why some of us are so passionate about overcoming those negative elements that reduce the pleasure of the activity not only for ourselves but those that would join us.

We may be doing ok in the couple of small clubs I belong to, but the loss of Bewl casts a long shadow in our area, that was a big club to just disappear and not enough was done to fight for it in my view. We have lost the RYA many of us knew of old, the avuncular bunch of volunteer committee enthusiasts, the Jenny Currys, the Edmund Whelands that would rush to our aid are gone and replaced with a PC corporation more akin to a quasi Government department bent on burying us with bureaucracy, replacing us with 'professional' schools to provide jobs for the output from their commercial school 'graduate' programmes, than assisting amateurs promote their sport via their local club.

All we can do is keep on carrying on and hope the next generation do pick up the reigns even if in doing so they do things differently and fill the beach with bikes and SUPS as they have done at our place, but better that than the place closed, ripped down and another block of luxury flats going up to fill the local councils coffers.