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Club changing rooms ... are they open? |
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davidyacht
Really should get out more Joined: 29 Mar 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1345 |
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Topic: Club changing rooms ... are they open? Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 6:29pm |
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I think that the Corinthian do-it-yourself clubs have a better chance of survival provided they own their freeholds or have secure leases. The clubs with expensive infrastructure, relying on bar take, catering and having a payroll will find things challenging and it will not be unclear which ones can survive COVID, time will tell, when next years subs are due in.
IMO the survival of clubs is slightly removed from dinghy racing, I suspect that keen racers will be adaptable on how they get to race and what facilities may be required. During lockdown we were having quite satisfying racing with no more than a WhatsApp message, rabbit starts, windward leewards ... it shows that we might only need rudimentary facilities.
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Happily living in the past
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Chris_H
Far too distracted from work Joined: 13 May 20 Online Status: Offline Posts: 237 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 6:00pm | |
Let’s review this post in 10-15 yrs time (if this forum is still around which I highly doubt - it needs to be put out of its misery and backward thinking) 😉 Dinosaurs once ruled the earth but we know what happened to them... Edited by Chris_H - 25 Aug 20 at 6:01pm |
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Sam.Spoons
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 12 Location: Manchester UK Online Status: Offline Posts: 3398 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 5:58pm | |
I disagree, golfing requires a course to be laid out and maintained. Usually over a large area and at much expense. Competitive sailing only needs access to a piece of water, the means to place some marks and the means to start and to record finishing times. Sailing clubs becoming commercial organisations would IMHO, be a very bad thing for the sport.
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Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
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Chris_H
Far too distracted from work Joined: 13 May 20 Online Status: Offline Posts: 237 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 5:34pm | |
Sailing and sailing clubs will be around till the end of time. But moving with the changing times will see changes at all levels. Change is inevitable and should be welcomed and embraced. I do not see a place in the long term future for Corinthian type clubs. It doesn’t exist in the Golfing world and won’t exist in the future sailing world. That may be sad, I agree, but inevitable
Edited by Chris_H - 25 Aug 20 at 5:34pm |
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Chris_H
Far too distracted from work Joined: 13 May 20 Online Status: Offline Posts: 237 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 5:29pm | |
Hope is a good thing and I don’t disagree with your hope. Reality I believe will be different. Edited by Chris_H - 25 Aug 20 at 5:30pm |
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Paramedic
Really should get out more Joined: 27 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 929 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 5:25pm | |
I hope - and for the first time in a long time have hope - that this is poppycock. Club's over reliance on the early-retirement generation from the 90's is well known, as is the fact that this bonanza of spare time cannot last forever and is coming to an end. What COVID has done is force younger members to make things happen because all of the "doers" at the club have been heeding advice to stay away. These younger members have found out what it takes to run the club, and will i'm sure find a way to make it continue. This is because the vast majority of us prefer the proper "club" atmosphere of a volunteer run club warts and all. Time will be an issue, but we can do meetings over Zoom. Maybe we will have to pay a groundsman again. But I don't see a coming age where all clubs will be managed clubs, and this is precisely because a generation of members have had to "grow up" as you put it :)
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Chris_H
Far too distracted from work Joined: 13 May 20 Online Status: Offline Posts: 237 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 5:18pm | |
As for changing rooms - I haven’t missed them at all as I either get changed at home before and after or use a robe next to the boat. However, come the winter........ I don’t sail in the winter anyway 😅
Edited by Chris_H - 25 Aug 20 at 5:20pm |
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Paramedic
Really should get out more Joined: 27 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 929 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 5:13pm | |
Club Sailing. not sailing in general :)
Edited by Paramedic - 25 Aug 20 at 5:13pm |
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Chris_H
Far too distracted from work Joined: 13 May 20 Online Status: Offline Posts: 237 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 5:11pm | |
I would be very cautious in suggesting that sailing has had a huge shot in the arm. I believe it is just a spike and not at all representative of the future For sure, the club I belong to has had a huge upsurge in its week day evening racing and general sailing. But I would say there are many reasons for this: - Many people are working form home (if indeed they are working at all) and can therefore make the time to race/participate as they don’t have the commute to deal with - Some are not working at all and so can do so - Anyone flying away on holiday needs their head examined and so have much more availability - The weather, up until now, has been exceptional and great for sailing - /It’s the school holidays anyway But this does not translate to club income to keep it afloat. Membership fees have already been paid anyway. Catering is limited. Bar opening hours are limited. This is clear from the downturn in people eating and drinking New members will always come along, but whether they stay and renew for next year we will have to see. It wont be until this time next year that boost clubs will see the financials and forecast of drinks/food/membership/social activities and make an informed decision as to where they go next. Anything else is pure speculation. My gut feel is, some clubs will have close - accelerated by C19. And those closures were probably inevitable anyways- just fore-shortened As for the future of clubs - I despair at some I know. Hanging by a thread, populated by the old school who dream of the old days to come back and cant think of a better way forward. They deserve to close I believe clubs need to be much more professional, much more with the commercials in mind. Sailors, in general, WILL pay more fees for a better service - I believe. Corinthian clubs will still be around, but few and far between - and rightly so.
We need to grow up Edited by Chris_H - 25 Aug 20 at 5:16pm |
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Paramedic
Really should get out more Joined: 27 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 929 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 5:08pm | |
To be fair at some of the smaller clubs will it make much difference to have no changing facilities? Poor, inefficient heating and showers that vary from frigid to volcanic depending on how you look at the tap
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