Arresting the Decline and Fall of our Sport.

Originally posted by Mark Aged 42 During the week, I work in IT. I sit on my backside and have very little face time with other humans. I race because it is a totally absorbing physical and mental exercise against like minded souls. I think about nothing else when racing, be it in 4 mph as on Sunday, or 30mph. So many factors to be considered while racing - has the tide turned?, has the wind shifted enough to make a tack worthwhile?, why has that other boat got better wind than me? Can I make that mark? Should I cover those boats over there? Do I need more kicker? Can I dive through that gap at the mark?, Which end of the start line? Must I really hike harder - I only have 1 ab  And more. When its over, I feel great, mind and body are refreshed. I'm no great racer, just an aging mid fleet weekend warrior (Essex Yacht Club plus Leigh-on-Sea Sailing Club). But the intensity of those few hours each week is priceless to me. This is why I race, and why I gently encourage others to do so as well.

Originally posted by KazRob Dinghy racing is mindfulness in action, to use a modern expression. Maybe we should get doctors to give prescriptions for it - that would boost participation :-)

Several articles in the press recently along the lines that spending time on/near water has significant mental health benefits:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/03/blue-space-living-near-water-good-secret-of-happiness

I think to be accurate dinghy sailing is mindfulness in action. I recognise Mark's experience, a good days racing puts you in a positive frame of mind - but it can also spill over in to being too intense and (especially given the complex rules, sometimes combative tactics and success defined as a position in a pecking order) end up with the opposite effect. 

Shouldn't that be in advice

So it is clear we are all sailing around blissed out but why aren’t more people.

What we need is to understand the barriers to participation, which come in three camps

Occasional sailors, our once a month, big events, why aren’t these people out more

Lapsed, early in their career, family arrivals, empty nesters

Never done it.

Much focus appears to be on the never done it when actually the lower hanging fruit are probably the other two 

Originally posted by The Moo Our Club is currently attracting lapsers in reasonable numbers. Longer term this is not the answer because to lapse you need to have done it in the first place. If we can't grab the Never Tried Its now there will be no next generation lapsers....

Makes sense, but in reality ( especially the kids) very few trainees will convert into members. They use their RYA certificates to rent boats on holiday or end up joining somewhere else.

So the key is for ALL sailing clubs to have training so the workload is spread fairly.