Reply To: W
Tony
i think the fixtures secretary has a thankless task. You can’t please any, yet alone all, the people all the time.
Please my post was not a criticism more a ……. this is where I am with my sailing (albeit at the back of the fleet) with a variety of constraints on my time and I do not have a young family (both my girls have grown up). If I am starting to toss up when and where I sail It is unlikely that I am alone. Interestingly it is not just the aged or crap sailors (I fall into both categories) that are facing up to the same issue. My daughter still keeps in touch with her 29er youth squad members one of whom made it to Rio. They now no longer will sail November to March and in the summer will Only look at opens where the sailing will be special. Yes they might be spoilt or have baggage to deal with but…….
A fixture secretary has so many different constituents to consider, however I just felt having seen the emptying dinghy park at Datchet that I didn’t want the OK class to head that way (enlightened self interest) and thus reckoned that the forum was the place to raise it. We don’t need a dwindling fleet and we need an active open circuit. Interestingly I asked Ken where Dave’s boat had gone – abroad along with Kens boat and also Dave’s purple haze. Dave Rose’s boat went to the Isle of Man. Of these 4 boats only Dave Bourne will replace his boat. It is great helping our neighbours get their fleets up and running again but if we are not careful the boot could soon be on the other foot.
thus the question ……how do we keep people sailing the OK in the U.K. I would urge everyone to read the Jonas Hogh-Christensen’s article posted on Y&Y today where he points out that sailing in a poor location is a bit like running a downhill ski race on a small slope in a resort where snow cannot be guaranteed. Great locations get even the back markers prepared to drive as you can live off the experience (the head skimming gybe, the massive broach) for at last a few months until the next one comes along or at least until you are called out in the bar! My stories about Pwllheli get better every year!,!
we live in an age where we can easily ask people what “floats their boat” and remove some of the pressure from the fixture secretary. If we don’t then people will vote with their feet which would be incredibly sad. The twitchy little 4m dinghy and those that love sailing her (irrespective of their ability) don’t need to see that happen.
I am sure that Blithfield will be a success. I can’t make it as the boat is with Rover (this old boy needs an armchair in which to hike or at least comfy side decks and “pussy pads”). So far I will be in Medemblik, and have booked accommodation and pink tickets for the Nationals and the Euros and will be at the end of seasons in Northants (Couldn’t miss that). I fear that both Filey and Brightlingsea will fall away due to Non sailing holiday commitments as we tend to take advantage of the cheap(er) holiday costs outside the school hols when looking for early and late summer sun. After this winter …….. a priority at home. The worlds in Europe necessarily mean that there’s is a gap in UK fixtures in the month or so around their dates. My trade was the Côte d’Azur in september or the Baltic in July. I went for the former and will bike ride in July.
In summary the post was not a criticism it was more a wish list ( hopefully not too selfish) driven by a desire to keep an active OK fleet in this country.
AndyM
