Laser 28 - Excellent example of this great design Hamble le rice |
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Laser 161752 Tynemouth |
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Chris 249 ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 10 May 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2041 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posted: 28 May 18 at 10:54am |
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Sorry, but that's not the point that was being addressed. The issue is that quite clearly, the factor that makes a sportsperson into a media personality is the sport they do rather than their personal attributes. If it was not that way, then the major personalities would not overwhelmingly come from just a few sports. Sure, having personalities to admire isn't bad - but it's far from vital and arguably it's the end result of a successful sport rather than the reason for a sport being successful. It's also pretty damn hard for a sport to arrange. Sir Ben is probably better known than any previous British dinghy sailor. If having a personality was such a bonus dinghy sailing, then surely the sport would have been booming since he became a star. In fact as the stats in the recent webinar show, participation in dinghy racing has been dropping sharply since Sir Ben became a well known personality.
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The history and design of the racing dinghy. |
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turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
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The custodians of dinghy sailing are (rather pathetically) trying to model themselves on an extreme sports platform, with total disregard for the core base of amateur participants - many of whom sit on the side of big boats simply enjoying the ride in between the transitions.
Let’s be honest, outside of their core disciplines does joe public really know who Laird Hamilton, Travis Rice or Kelly Slater are? And these guys are bonafide celebrities, with global clothing brands and equipment manufacturers supporting them. Chasing the extreme sport athlete angle really isn’t going to extend the sport’s fan base, it’s just going to alienate the one it already has. Edited by turnturtle - 28 May 18 at 10:59am |
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iGRF ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6499 |
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The problem comes from the fact said custodians are no longer enthusiasts rather than careerist jobs bodys who, rather than instinctively understand their fellow travellers, are forced to cast about to surveys and consultants who are equally bereft of the first idea. Sailing, at least the sailing I do is nothing like extreme sports, and that coming from one who has marketed to extreme sports all his career. Sailing is less extrovert, more cranial, despite the many attempts to paint it otherwise. |
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Rupert ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
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The custodians I know are doing their best to make sailing accessable to all. For me, it goes wrong for the RYA on the squad pyramid, not on the grass roots, where help is there for the asking.
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
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Rupert - you appear to use the word custodian when (grass roots) minion would be more appropriate 😂
Edited by turnturtle - 28 May 18 at 12:56pm |
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boatshed ![]() Far too distracted from work ![]() Joined: 12 Apr 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 457 |
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Today's Bank Holiday pursuit race, held in 5 mph of breeze, was about as far from an extreme sport as possible. 'Tis the British summer.
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Steve
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turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
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Some people are guilty of mixing technical skill requirements with extreme sports marketing. No one would suggest a foiling moth isn’t a highly technical piece of equipment, but even at 30 knots, it’s not an extreme sport. To my knowledge no one has died sailing a foiling moth, and I’d wager the Firebrll and 470 I’ll has had more fatalities through entrapment- these too, are not extreme sports anymore than hunting on horses is.
The same cannot be said for big wave surfing, off piste skiing or wing suiting ... |
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Rupert ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
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Enthusiastic sailors, whether employed by the RYA or volunteering/working to improve people's skills and fun at club level ARE sailing's custodians. People blithering on about "the future" when the present shapes it, aren't. |
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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JimC ![]() Really should get out more ![]() ![]() Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662 |
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Well said.
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turnturtle ![]() Really should get out more ![]() Joined: 05 Dec 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2538 |
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I don’t think people talking about it would claim they were, they are just punters and quite happy with that status... I guess the fact that those in positions of voluntary authority think they own the sport is half the issue, from a certain perspective anyway. They are after all custodians of a dwindling number of participants, but yes, they’re ‘volunteers’ so don’t talk ill of their effort, even if it’s clearly failing. The other half of the problem is the people who actually do have real ownership- from World Sailing and their stupid proposals to the RYA draining the clubs of kids and families on their Britain Got Talent-esque search for the next Ben. Jobsworths and Volunteers... damn, what a toxic cocktail 🍸 Edited by turnturtle - 28 May 18 at 5:51pm |
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