My boat being out of action and no chance of getting it fixed on Saturday, my totally cissy crew substitute allowed me to cry off with a warning of 'force 6 and rain all day' only to be greeted by perfect conditions, sun and 2-3 so I visited the scene to watch.

Upon arrival they were on the water, there appeared to be a race crew way up in a box above some old fish murdering gallows establishment which involved a ladder, so not really a place to enter uninvited.

The course was displayed on boards below which made about as much sense as course boards generally do, there were three separate diagrams and there appeared to be three different events, just as I'm watching a chap starts to descend the ladder, so I ask 'which race are they on? Winston Churchill replies with his familiar victory signal, not a word.

I look at the 2nd map it just calls out buoys a,b,c not any indication of how many laps, so I could judge what leg they were on, er 'how many laps?' '45 minutes' the surly cove begrudgingly replies then turns on his heel to shamble off in his blue wellies to consort with another stripy jumpered result of brother and sisterly love.

I look up at the rest of the race team, ignorance, pure down their nose ignorance, and you wonder why...

Broadstairs, I've never raced there don't think I ever will now, the lads seemed to enjoy what looked like a great event and all the on the water stuff seemed to be going swimmingly, guns blazing star shells into the early autumn sunshine, late tourists taking the sun, lots of interest in all those boats out there, no one any the wiser as to what's going on.

Well it's a secret see, only the privileged get to sail...  If only they knew the truth eh?

However it don't alter the fact they come across wrong and they are now No 2 in my Snooty Clubs list, I don't even get that sort of crap from Hayling, or Parkstone where every stupid question I might have asked has at least been answered civilly and the person happy to spend a little of his her time of day with the query.

Broadstairs are a bunch of handicap bandits anyway imv so that incident did nothing to enamour me any further with them.. They shall forthwith be the butt of malicious jokes about sail snobs any time I feel like it.. They're worse than Whitstabewle and that's going some..

Yeah but he didn't he just stuck two fingers up (to indicate race 2 I guess) I had to ask the 2nd question as he walked away.

 

Clubs which have their race hut where the public can wander by have an interesting problem - they must get fed up with daft questions from grockles, but at the same time should keep a friendly face on or end up having their reputation tarnished on the internet, and causing the reputation of sailing to be tarnished in the wider community.

 

When in America last year, we went to a fantastic sailing club down West Virginia way. It was a Monday afternoon, so really didn't expect anybody to be there, just thought we'd look at the water and the boats. However, there were people there, the bar was open, we were bought drinks (and told, no we weren't allowed to buy, as not members, so the drinks were on them), the kids played on the enormous pirate ship they had on the shore, and we spent several great hours there. All in all, a very welcoming experience, and one I at least try and emulate at Whitefriars when visitors come down, and least to a small extent.

 

I think I would far rather see a list of clubs on here that people have been made to feel welcome at than one naming clubs at which they had a bad experience, which could be a one off. Mind, so could a good experience, I guess!

Quite right. Absolutely spot on Mark. Well said.

I am of the opinion that if you don't want "outsiders" at your

club then don't invite them. Problem solved really.

And if you can't say anything nice, stfu.

PS... I am going to Whitefriars for free drinks.

What a guy that Rupert is.

HURRAH !!!!

 

but if your buying....

 

Or "Royal".

The combination of the two, well...

Why in god's name don't you stop using that

melted down horse glue Roger?... Go mad and 

get a tube of UHU.

I do actually have room for a beer fridge in the Osprey Rupert. 

 

Mind you, I've know members, and they have been very nice chaps indeed!

 

That's a fair comment.

The generalisation of clubs with "Yacht" or "Royal" (or both) in their title is perhaps a little unfair, but goes some way to explaining some of the victorian elitist attitudes that you still sometimes meet.

Any clubs accepting 'sport for all' or community based grants SHOULD NOT be allowed to perpetuate ancient rules which differentiate.

More to the point, I thought entering a open / regatta gained you temporary membership of the host club and (within reason) use of the clubs facilities.

 

Unfortunately Rogue in an earlier post contradicts your view on Burnham...Or alternately, as Rupurt points out, it's sometimes down to meeting the wrong person on the wrong day.

That's really not fair. The Royal Burnham Yacht club is very friendly - when we broke our mast doing a coastal race to Burnham, within 5 minutes of getting into the yacht club we had 4 offers for beds for the night, a few offers for lifts home in the morning and someone even asked if we wanted any help getting the boat home. If that's not friendly, I don't know what is.

For the record, I have absolutely nothing against the Royal Burnham (having never visited there).

I was just pointing out that you will always find someone who has been left with a sour image of ANY club due to meeting the wrong person on the wrong day.

 

I do however know of two seperate aquantainces who have membership at the same "Royal, Yacht" club (not Burnham), who have both testified that there is a 'snooty' attitude within.