The Evolution of Expense

[RANT]
Oh good grief, that's just got to be challenged. Takers not givers indeed. What nonsense.

Doing circuit events is in itself a different kind of giving to the sport, especially if you're one of the 90% who isn't taking home the glassware. My club for one values the people who come to our open events, take the trouble to travel, bring an extra dimension to those of our class members who aren't able to travel. If you don't think that committment is giving something to the sport you need to look at yourself very hard. It sure as hell is giving something to our club that people are prepared to take the time and trouble to travel to our opens, to pay us an entry fee over their own club or RYA subscriptions and everything else. We're glad to see them and the more of these "takers" the better.

At different stages in your life its appropriate to do different things. Last time I was campaigning on the circuit semi seriously I was a member of a club, but I didn't contribute anything to it but my club fees. We did the occasional tuning weekend, but that was it, no duties, nothing like that.

Now though I have more time than I did then, and I get to the majority of my current clubs opens and I try and provide a reasonably efficient results service and some hopefully not too dreadful photos on the screen at lunchtime and on the website, which I hope makes the day better for the competitors. I'm not a giver now and a taker then, I'm the same damn person, just a different stage in life and different opportunities.

[/RANT]


Edited by JimC - 07 Mar 15 at 11:15pm

+1

Mmm, but I submit that in a youth class its appropriate to do as much as possible tp damp down on those tendencies, especially as there is so little choice available in "pathway" classes.

In adult classes, sure if some people choose to sail boats that are ridiculously expensive, over complicated and have a somewhat snooty attitude and others sail boats which are, shall we say, a little more accessible, then that's fine, choice is a good thing. In junior classes however I think the administrators should be seeking to damp down that sort of thing because the sport needs to be accessible to starters. As Jack Sparrow said, time to worry about that sort of thing when the boat is pointing the right way 95% of the time. Most of the kids will only be reading settings of Daddy's tuning sheet anyway, its not even as if they are really learning very much.

Anyway, time to get moving, its a nice sunny morning out there, hope some breeze comes in.

Edited by JimC - 08 Mar 15 at 8:27am

Davidyacht,
well I for one would add a +1 to your comments and think them far from nonsense. Until it got dropped on, hard, there was for a while something of a trend for some of our top echelon sailors (ie, 5 ring circus types) to enter with their sponsor listed as their club, even though the sponsor was not an affiliated club. This though was just a small part of a bigger problem that is impacting on the sport. There are volunteers and then there are those who are being paid to be at the event. Talk about inequality! The RO for an event will be an unpaid volunteer, but the IJs are on a comfy deal as are those responsible for measurement. If it is a 5 ring event, it can get to the part that the competitors and many of the administrators are all doing well out of being on hand, whilst some others are giving up their own time and are often left out of pocket.
Something the RYA does badly is in how they handle this situation! They'll cherry pick a few big names, make a fuss of saying "thank you" to them, then do a global 'thanks' to the remaining rabble. They'd be far better off just doing a 'thank you to everyone' and leaving it at that, without the praise lavished on a chosen few.

But if you are one of those who just compete under the RYA banner and no not owe allegiance to a club - when DO you put something back in to the sport? (other than with your presence at an event).

Davidyacht - well done for saying what the apology merchants for the growing inbalance in the sport are too beholden to the 'top' to say!!

D

Originally posted by Dougaldog Davidyacht, well I for one would add a +1 to your comments and think them far from nonsense. Until it got dropped on, hard, there was for a while something of a trend for some of our top echelon sailors (ie, 5 ring circus types) to enter with their sponsor listed as their club, even though the sponsor was not an affiliated club. This though was just a small part of a bigger problem that is impacting on the sport. There are volunteers and then there are those who are being paid to be at the event. Talk about inequality! The RO for an event will be an unpaid volunteer, but the IJs are on a comfy deal as are those responsible for measurement. If it is a 5 ring event, it can get to the part that the competitors and many of the administrators are all doing well out of being on hand, whilst some others are giving up their own time and are often left out of pocket. Something the RYA does badly is in how they handle this situation! They'll cherry pick a few big names, make a fuss of saying "thank you" to them, then do a global 'thanks' to the remaining rabble. They'd be far better off just doing a 'thank you to everyone' and leaving it at that, without the praise lavished on a chosen few. But if you are one of those who just compete under the RYA banner and no not owe allegiance to a club - when DO you put something back in to the sport? (other than with your presence at an event). Davidyacht - well done for saying what the apology merchants for the growing inbalance in the sport are too beholden to the 'top' to say!! D

Edited by sargesail - 08 Mar 15 at 11:09am