Where next for the Youth worlds

Originally posted by JimC I have my doubts about these events for slightly different reasons. I've noted that some of our youngsters, by the age of 18, have sailed in the biggest championship fleets they're ever going to, sailed pretty much as high profile events as they're ever going to, pretty much done everything with precious little to look forward to except maybe do an Olympics. I would vote to ban even Nationals for junior classes, nothing bigger than regional events, to take out high pressure events and keep travel costs down.

If you are the top kid in the region... This *may* make sense (although surely you want to be competing against the best.

But if you are the third top in the region... That means you will never know if you are 3rd in the country or 33rd.

I'm confused though. Your main argument seems to be "precious little to look forward to" as a reason not to enjoy what they are doing!? This (a) doesn't just apply to sailing - it applies to every sport where the Olympics is the pinnacle event presumably? No point competing at Gymnastics beyond the region. You will be old and knackered and have nothing to look forward to before you know it. Don't let little Jimmy do the 400m beyond county level, or when he is old he will regret it.

Has a local squad sailor beaten you at a race and it annoyed you?

If you make regional events the "peak" you will just make those events more pressured. Travel is unlikely to be the biggest cost at the top end of events, at least until they start traveling abroad. Very Top end sailors want top end boats. Most have private coaching. Most will be in squads with coaching camps etc. They may well be spending £5k a year on their sailing...

I am not 100% sure what the circus is. If it is the race organisation etc, that will be needed at the now very important regional event. Is it the coaches, the parents etc? Who do you think runs the events? I can host a 200+ junior event at a club with no concern of finding volunteers to lay marks etc. Give me a 40 boat adult event... And I struggle...

I've long seen it claimed that junior sailors suck clubs dry when they join squads because parents are always away etc. They are not ALWAYS away. But they are away a fair bit. I've also seen it said that juniors stop sailing at 19, go to Uni etc and that it the end of it. I was starting to believe it. But in the last 3 years at my club, there has been a return of about 10 adult couples who stopped / slower down / faded away when Uni arrived. Now in their 40's they have children old enough to sail... The cycle will begin again... They come back... But 20 years on. Play the long game folks.