Kids in sailing

this is an interesting topic , as a for want of a better  turn of phrase 'lapsed' sailor  thre'sa lot of good points raised

instructors and coaches - you don't need to be 'fast' but you do need to be 'good' - unless and until you are coaching at the level you compete at ( or did compete at)

choice of classes - thorny easy to get sidelined  for access to coaching aobve regional levle if you don't sail one of the chosen classes  and unless you are rich enough to have both a fleet at your home club boat and  your choice of the 'chosen' class for your age / size/ type of sailing  - if you sail one of the chosen classes at a water where there isn't a fleet your club racing sailing doesn't necessarily offer the potential for self training that it could -

uni sailing -  utter waste of time and space - the team racing is a self perpetuating activity among the public schoolboysand girls - they have no interest in promoting  fleet racing within the uni sector , and are not willing to develop fleet racrs into being team racers ( becasue they are afriad of the boatspeed the average fleet racer has vs team racers )

One thing i find is that older kids, especially those who haven't sailed before, look at sailing as boring and not a proper sport. If this image can be changed it might attract more older kids. Otherwise I think the only thing that can be done is to get more young guys in and having fun so that they do hang around.

My 2 cents

cost has a huge part to play in sailing whilst at university i think. most sailors will join the uni club which will be focussed on team racing. however to sail in a club you need transport, a boat AND club membership (can be up to £200 apparently).

now i pay £48 for my boat park space and membership fees which is very cheap. but if the fees are anything like £200 at a club near the uni i simply wont be able to afford to join.....

i think NIck Peters has got a valid point. when i came out of the laser squad i had no idea what i wanted to go into. it was only because i saw another lad at the club ( year older) in an rs300 and had a go that i found i loved the boat.

possibly if the RYA were to have a few different boats to circulate around different clubs which would allow kids, youths and young adults to try something new and possibly decide what they enjoy most, get all their entheuasm (sp?) up and keep them in the sport.....

any views on this?

It seems to me that you don't have to be a great sailor to be a good instructor. Being able to teach is probably more crucial than being a super winner.

And no, I am not an instructor and, seeing my sailing skills, I never will be! Sarcasm and put-down lines won't be needed...

Kids sailing - from where I sit one has to make the assumption the RYA "system" is pretty good - participation is up, the RYA and the parents are putting in more than ever before, we get results at world level, and we appear the envy of the youth sailing world in these regards. I have yet to meet a youngster who has not benefitted in some way from involvement.

So if in general all is good - what is not so good and what could be better? 

The clubs suffer - so scrap zone squads, and transition training and put money, focus and effort back into the clubs. Helps to broaden the base in all ways.

Too many junior classes - spreads talent and resource too wide, confuses non-sailing families and clubs. No suggestions here, just commenting. But this surely is a reason why we are generally more successful at youth than junior level?

The system does not cater for those that don't make national squad: the parents naturally pick up the pieces - something that they could be warned about at the beginning - if you hook into the good, you need to be aware of the potential problems. Strong clubs are invaluable here.

Youth, and to a lesser extent Olympic, 2-man classes favour small helm, big crew combinations - tough on an aspiring young helm or crew who is the wrong size.

Transition from youth to adult classes is not effective enough as we lose too many at 18. Problem is all parties have a part to play here - RYA, parents, clubs and classes. Many parents heave a combined sigh of relief, exhaustion and pennilessness when offspring get to 18. But if funds and sailor motivation is there, the classes could do more: I know the Merlins were active in finding young sailors as crews - and the RS200 / 500 both have youth championships with an U.22 age limit. Clubs offering student rates - I think membership should be free for u.25 sailors who will club race - really help.

To sum up, keep it fun, keep it local, parents don't give up your own sailing, and see the big picture - sailing is for life not just until the next dissapointment. Enjoy the process, not just the goal.

Cheers,

Nick