New Olympic events.

Wow. So professionally run pay and play is left as the only solution?

Worked at a place that had that. SUPs rented out well, sailing dinghies not so much. Turns out the odd lesson comes in handy.

Originally posted by Rupert Wow. So professionally run pay and play is left as the only solution?

Nope, but it would be nice if it were a realistic option, but who would invest that kind of philanthropic level of capital when the ‘market’ has grown up on getting sh*t for free?

Edited by turnturtle - 28 May 18 at 7:08pm

That's all very well if your ideal model for the sport is to go back to the 1930s when a wealthy upper class elite (for 2018 substitute wealthy executive elite) more or loss monopolised the sport with their paid boatmen looking after the boats. However the dinghy sailing boom was all about the ordinary working person being able to own their own boat. I guess though its just symptomatic of the wider problem of a greedy executive class grabbing everything for themselves.

I do get the history.. when you’ve spent more time in your shed crafting your pride and joy than you have with your wife and kids, then I understand the human psyche that would personify the bloody thing, especially giving it a woman’s name across the transom like it’s some kind of alternative mistress.   But in the day of rotomoulded plastic tubs from OEMs, which work well given the average 21st Century fabricator skillset, it’s probably fair to consign the Arthur Ramsome style of ownership to the annals of history where it belongs.

There will always be suitable classes for the freds in their sheds- diversity is good, but for the mainstream a new thought process on ownership models is probably needed.


Edited by turnturtle - 28 May 18 at 7:43pm

Will have to see what effect decline in car ownership brings, bound to have some impact, can't see how Pay and play can be so emotive an issue ?