professional patrol boat drivers and race officers
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11315
Printed Date: 14 Jul 25 at 5:30pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: professional patrol boat drivers and race officers
Posted By: Oli
Subject: professional patrol boat drivers and race officers
Date Posted: 16 Jan 14 at 3:57pm
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Which clubs use one or both of these?
------------- https://skiff-media.teemill.com/" rel="nofollow - T-SHIRTS https://www.photo4me.com/profile/23908/" rel="nofollow - PRINTS |
Replies:
Posted By: RichTea
Date Posted: 16 Jan 14 at 7:38pm
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What do you class as professional? I am an RYA a Race coach and a Safety boat driver! ------------- RS200 |
Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 16 Jan 14 at 9:00pm
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What do you class as professional? ------------- Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59 |
Posted By: Quagers
Date Posted: 16 Jan 14 at 11:08pm
| Derwent SC have pro safety cover |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 7:54am
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I believe Grafham and Draycote have paid rescue/safety boat drivers. ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: Oli
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 9:17am
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thanks everyone thats replied, to clarify i talking about not having volunteers do patrol boat duty but hired guns instead. ------------- https://skiff-media.teemill.com/" rel="nofollow - T-SHIRTS https://www.photo4me.com/profile/23908/" rel="nofollow - PRINTS |
Posted By: gordon
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 12:30pm
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In France the carreer structure for professionals in clubs and sailing centres mean that they are expected to operate as instructors, coaches, patrol drivers, mark layers, assistant race officers, boat repairers, administrators, salesmen.... and if they want to stay in employment they have to be friendly, enthusiastic and diplomatic. But they are paid a living wage and can get promotion to managerial roles. Race officials are usually volunteers - but in France where the concept of club racing does not exist - any race officer would be expected to have a federal qualification. ------------- Gordon |
Posted By: yellowwelly
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 1:11pm
Correct for Draycote, however we still have two duties to do per year + the usual working party b**locks for volunteering types to pick up the litter blown in from joe public's cycle around the lake and summer picnic... France sounds good.
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Posted By: gordon
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 1:14pm
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Except that it only works because up till very recently the French accepted the idea that paying taxes was a good idea. Much of the funding for sport comes from local authorities.
------------- Gordon |
Posted By: yellowwelly
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 1:20pm
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I think most folks think tax is fundamentally a good social concept. I guess what frustrates a lot of people is the seemingly wasteful nature in which it gets spent. I'd probably lump propping up a sailing scene for privileged kids in with that. My own point of view is that a sailing centre offering open meeting style racing could be a very interesting concept... run by professional staff, run as a business and offering training and boat leases as part of the package. Naturally monday to friday it would look for institution based sales channels, but that's no different from a ski centre, swimming pool or bowling alley. I certainly think it would suit the more time sensitive sailors out there, although I do accept that the cliquey clubby-ness that sits so awkwardly with socks n' sandals would probably suffer. No great shame imho... but everyone's different.
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Posted By: gordon
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 1:30pm
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I think you have described the French concept of a "centre nautique" very well. Except that most of them are run as non-profit organisations with substantial local authority backing. One major point, in France competitive dinghy sailing has been largely detached from the onerous pastime of boat owning - the clubs own the boats. The other aspect is that the French government has considered that sport is a matter of State policy ever since the French defeat in the Franco Prussian War of 1870! The Huns cheated - their troops had done PE at school! So they are enthusiastic about spending tax income on sport. For instance most top French rugby and football clubs play on municipally owned pitches. If the local authority has a policy that all primary school children will learn to sail then filling up the centre during the week is not a problem! ------------- Gordon |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 1:50pm
| The trouble with the sports centre model for sailing is, that unlike say Golf or Squash, sailing works best if everyone is using the facilities at the same time. Unless you are into match racing a race on Wednesday afternoon at 2pm with two boats in isn't that appealing. |
Posted By: GarethT
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 1:57pm
Sounds a bit like WPNSA.
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Posted By: yellowwelly
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 1:57pm
I'm sure that published race times would be de created to suit the popular times- assuming also that things like tide are taken into consideration. The snowboard club I am a member of is nothing short of discount card for regular users... they also run competition nights, group training, recreational coaching, social trips, group ski discounts, holidays, singles holidays etc. This sits alongside being open for business from the general public, schools, colleges, universities and corporate rate members. Is it a model that could work for dinghy racing- maybe... I dunno. They never seem short of regular faces and fresh blood though.
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Posted By: gordon
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 2:00pm
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This is not aproblem when sailing is opened up to a wider public. Wednesday afternoon could well be the time for the local school sailing league whilst on Mondays Thursdays and Fridays school classes would be sailing. And how about weekday racing/training for the many people who do not work 9to5 - including the retired, those that work at home, shift workers.... Once you have professional staff hteir first pre-occupation is to get the centre fully booked - that is the only way they are going to keep their job and have a career! ------------- Gordon |
Posted By: yellowwelly
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 2:01pm
do they actually have an open programme of racing in the harbour? I thought they more a facility for class associations to book for training and championships.
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Posted By: NickM
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 3:23pm
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The way sailing and other sport has developed in France is a direct consequence of the mentality induced by the Code Napoleon. To participate in almost any sport you have to pass some sort of knowledge-based exam and get a "permit." It is admirable that municipalities put so much money into sport, though.
I just don't think it does for Brits who typically don't like being told what to do by the State. You can't bimble on a Club-owned boat! And I can think of at least one Sailing Club in southern England that resembles a French "centre nautiqe" that just does not work: there may be lots of foot-fall but you don't know anyone. Many are day-sailors who drag their old Laser out of the nettles for one or two days a summer. It is not at all the same atmosphere as a smaller volunteer-run racing-focused sailing club. |
Posted By: yellowwelly
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 3:39pm
which one is it Nick? I could be genuinely interested. As for not knowing anyone, really I'm not that bothered about that. My socialising tends to be done away from sailing these days... I don't see the point in nursing a driving shandy for an evening when I could walk to the pubs or restaurants nearer home.
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 3:43pm
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I like to know and like the people I am racing against - it makes it far more fun. That is where the social aspect comes in - it isn't all to do with the demon drink. Though I am looking forward to camping up at the sailing club more in 2014 now we have a campervan, allowing for the odd glass (bottle) of wine. ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: RichTea
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 6:51pm
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I am a paid safety boat driver. All race officers are volunteers. QMSC members are able to reduce their membership fees by opting in to do race duties. ------------- RS200 |
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 17 Jan 14 at 6:59pm
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Interesting that you do it that way round, not paying to opt out, but having a reduction to opt in. Same result, subtly different approach. Do enough people opt in to get enough of a race team? And do you not find being paid to drive safety boat gets in the way of your own sailing? ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 18 Jan 14 at 9:41pm
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Carsington has a paid professional and a lesser paid underling. They do maintenance, organise stuff keep a safety boat on the water during the week; but you won't see them doing weekend safety boat duties or running races - that's all done by volunteers..... and if you volunteer enough you get a reduction in your membership fee. Always short of volunteer race officers as having paid the membership fee, people would really rather sail than earn some of their membership fee back!
------------- Javelin 558 Contender 2574 |
Posted By: RichTea
Date Posted: 18 Jan 14 at 10:09pm
I tend to work Saturdays, but yes it does get in the way. I am not a member of QMSC so can't answer the question, purely an observation from looking at membership. ------------- RS200 |
Posted By: patj
Date Posted: 19 Jan 14 at 7:25am
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Way out west at Roadford Lake (and others run by South West Lakes Trust) there is professional safety cover and you can pay'n'play any daytime or do one of their courses and the club runs racing at weekends (and I think also mid-week) with volunteer race officers. With a large sailing area, a proper on-site campsite and Dartmoor near, it's a good place for a holiday and so we have a puddle club away weekend there every year, which we coincide with the CVRDA event for classic and vintage dinghies.This year that's 7 & 8 June and includes the Classic Finn Nationals and an invitation to Lowrider Moths to join us. (Shameless plug!)
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