DSM....RIP!

[Ancient Geek]

Always something else, In Denmark where despite what one may think sailing is a minority sport just like the UK! The drop out rate is almost zero and adults take up sailing well into middle age for all the reasons Pat gives. It is very relaxed club boats well capable of a picnic or winning an International Regatta (The Royal Danish Yacht Club - Junior boat, is a Yngling sailed often five up after school in the summer.) The starter for the young an Optimist followed by a 420 and then much younger than in the UK to play with the big boys and girls or go cruising in safe waters assured that someone will look out for them not nannied. Social Democracy ensures lots of publicly or club funded boats of very high standard are there on demand.

[jpa_wfsc]

JimC, you are spot on. If all clubs had a junior training section then all clubs would benefit....

However, not all clubs are like Hunts (or WOBYC), and so we get the drop out. Not sure on the best way to promote clubs to encourage junior training.

Find your local RYA development Officer and have a chat. There is time and money available now to support clubs - we are begining to benefit from this and for example will be running an instructor course this autumn and have a dozen days or so of a club race coach to develop (mainly) junior racing. Nessa has benefited in similar ways. We have also started a local circuit for the youth sailors to begin flexing their wings in.. much less pressured than the full on rya circuit which in any case is largely centered well south of us.

You should find some RYA staff at the tera nats - ask the RS guys if you cant find them as I'm sure they would connect you.


ALSO - how about a youth wing in the cvrda? Handicap racing with perhaps an emphasis more on 'old' boats.

[JimC]

This is not sexism. It is fact. There will be exceptions.

A while back I did some statistical analysis of the popularity of asymettric classes. I got a strong correlation on only one factor of all the ones I tried. That was: the more women sail in the class the bigger the Championship turnout will be. My conclusion that we should only give women the vote on rule changes and the like for the class wasn't well received, but I maintain that its a logical approach.

[roger]

Unfortunately at Shearwater we tried to get funding to set up a training establishment but couldnt get any grants as our lease was to short. Longleat would only give us 6 years at the time. So could get no funding for training at the club but we have a very good link with West wilts youth sailing at Westbury which is almost a sister club now with many of the instructors members of both.

[Nessa]

nooooooooo! Surely not sailing on Station Pond!

[roger]

Thats the one Nessa. Does it hold memories for you?
Agreed the place is a terrible place to sail but the kids have so much fun and I admire the time that is put in by the vlounteers especially Nick Cross.

They are looking for a new peice of water which may well happen if the developers get the go ahead .

[Pat]

West Wilts YSA run an adult course and the funniest moment is said to be when someone capsizes and starts swimming in panic then realises they can stand up as it's only about knee deep!

[alan williams]

Hi Pat
Had something similar happen at Salcome during a Hornet Open. Bore away with Kite up in the BAG in a huge gust boat did not accellerate just laid on it's side. My crew jumped on to the centreboard and missed it. The water was brown lots of mud in the Bad this disguised the fact that it was only ankle deep. Another friend passed bye laughing, however the biggest laugh was on him. We managed to get the kite down and push the boat back into deeper water and continue with the race. Nick who had been laughing was quickly become the laughing stock of the fleet. He had also born away in a gust, had not capsized but had driven the boat completely out of the water and was sat high and dry 25ft from the waters edge in the softestes,t muddest part of the Bag were you just sink in mud. The boat and crew were towed off by a rescue boat and had to retire. Needless to say he was the butt of many jokes after and during this open.
Cheers Al