Class proliferation...

The problem as far as I saw it, was that during the nineties dinghy sailing caught the windsurfing disease which started with what we then called dedicated slalom boards, it then followed an ever increasing trend to the margins of wave and high wind sailing. Dinghies headed in the direction of ever increasing performance and elitism in boats that could only really be enjoyed by experts. This all happened long before I came along and did my bit to moan and highlight it. I'm testament to exactly what's wrong, it's taken me now, over ten years to become a middle of the road club sailor with occasional moments in the sun. Heaven help anyone coming from a world with no experience of sailing, what happens to them? For the most part those I've witnessed endure the lower echelon of the laserati. Is there a pathway for fresh adults who've made the decision to sail? Can't say I've noticed one, I guess some clubs do their bit, but there doesn't appear to be any hard and fast formula, best we do is push the boat out and attract some leisure cruisey types, very difficult to get them racing. Racers come only from the squad fallout and maybe returnees, all steeped in the way it was/is. So society may have changed but dinghy sailing hasn't in any way that would attract those necessary new adults in my view.

Edited by iGRF - 11 Feb 19 at 1:17pm

Nationals turnouts are way down except for the youth classes. Numbers of boats built are also way down. Those are the only numbers that are reasonably available.

Oooohhhh, that makes it sound as if you expect those who desire to run the sport should actually study it so they can know what's really happening. Certainly I've been looking for something like that information, anywhere in the world, and have never found it. Germany's ranking lists would be the closest and I assume that's not what you are looking for.

Originally posted by JimC This is, incidentally, why I really dislike the summer sailing challenge thing. Even at the biggest of the major winter handicap races you rarely get enough boats of most classes to deliver a reasonable single class race within a race. And even if you do boat on boat class tactics is a way to the back of the overall places. So if this thing takes off it will inevitably take some of the keen sailors from class events, which means there will be no fleet racing for anyone anywhere.

One of the things that I think was different in the boom was that clubs could be over subscribed and actually have a waiting list for membership, which in turn meant they could turn away people who didn't want to sail one of the chosen classes. That in turn led to a proliferation of clubs.

Edited by JimC - 09 Feb 19 at 10:15am