RYA Wokebomb

Originally posted by Sussex Lad How to get them interested? How do we get minorities through the door?

Stop thinking of them as 'minorities' for a start. The whole thing smacks of Patronising paternalism, people are just people and if we're lucky enough for one to walk through the door asking, then just be bothered to take interest.

Doesn't matter what shape or shade they are, sailing clubs can easily ignore all and any shape and shade if they're busy getting ready for a race or running one when someone comes up to the control box just as a bunch of lasers are approaching the line, they're going to get short shrift.

Think about it, we're all so pre occupied with doing it we really haven't got the time or interest to devote to newcomers.

Maybe we should set a day a week when we really only cater for beginners and new arrivals.

The problem is there really isn't any incentive, we can pretend there is, but really?

Which is why seriously clubs should have profit making schools attached to them, with the specific designation to teach people to actually do what we need them to do and not just to be taught sailing as nothing more than how to potter about in a boat.


Edited by iGRF - 05 Apr 21 at 4:01pm

I think the recent Race and Ethinic Diparities Report has some relevance here. You can't just lump "ethnics" and diversity into one lump. On one hand it is a great ambition to give , for want of a better label, poor and underprivileged people an opportunity to go sailing but inner city unemployed youth and single mothers are   unlikely to be the bedrock of the future of sailing .Although some may, and good for them.
On the other hand, the tactics for getting an accountant of Indian origin to think of sailing rather than golf may be very different and may well involve sailing being more aspirational and elite.
A couple of Sikh doctor friends always drive silver Mercedes as it is considered very important to show that you have "made it".They would need to feel that a fireball in the driveway has the same cachet.

Originally posted by 423zero Two simplistic replies to a complex issue.

Yes it's a complex issue but those two replies point at two factors that contribute to the problem.

At risk of being too simplistic it seems that the problem can be divided into two separate issues:

How do we alter the sport image, making it more appealing to minorities. How to get them interested? How do we get minorities through the door?

How do we alter things in the club house to make them want to stay?

Yes. There is a state of thinking called delusional elitism, often found in conservative groups, resistant to change even at the expense of hindering their own futures.

No good quoting robotic nations like Sweden or Japan etc, British people tend to not like being told what to do, we need to find a way that works with our national character.