My 2 cents ...
My father bought his first boat when I was 2 years old, with 6 years
I`ve owned my first Optimist dinghy followed by 470, Laser ect ect...
My kids started their life to sail and live during the summer on a
boat. Of cause they`ve got their Optimist dinghy in the age of 6 ... Now
my daughter does not sail anymore, but try to visit us on our boat for
1-2 weeks in the summer, my son is sailing an International 14 footer
and will start to study naval architecture next year ...
Of cause, when we are not out, my son take the 34` and sails with
friends or his girlfriend. My dream is that they will sail the boat i.e.
to Norway and we would sail the boat back to have the oportunity to go
further away during the short periode of vacation. But ... that`s a
dream, we will see what will happen in the future.
BUT ... we had no chance to be a member of a sailing club. When kids
were young, we just had enough money to pay for the boat, but did not
had the money to pay, in that time app. 2000 Euro, the entrance to be a
sailing club member. Also they asked for three warrantors and a visit
of the managing committee to have a seriouse look, if you as nothing,
would be acceptable to be a part of their holy sailing club. Ok ...
kindergarden ... and today retirement home, with the result that they
have big problems to keep the sailing club running. In that time we
still studied and our parents were only "workers".
I think the main problem was and is, that a lot of sailing clubs are
more or less elitist clubs, trying to keep themselfe closed against
"normal" people. But as matter of fact, this elitist people they
invested more time to make career insted of getting kids ... so in the
end, this elitist group is a threatened species.
To get more young people onto sailing boats, I think first of all the
sailing clubs have to change their behavior and have to invest into
young people, i.e. one idea would be to cooperate with schools and to be
open for all kids who are willing to sail and ... to give boats like
Optimist dinghy or Pirat or 470 .... next to sailing clothes to the kids
(because it`s a huge investment for people without big money to buy and
perhaps to realize that kid would be interesting in sailing only for one
summer).
Like Hiscock said, sailing is 90% experience, 5% knowledge and 5%
luck. That`s why the best sailors are sailors started sailing as kids.
best regards
Peter
Colomba, C&C 34`
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