Carrying on....
So, the perceived financial barriers to participation in our sport can be largely removed, simply because, for most of us, they need not exist. Case in point - I currently sail a $1200 laser, which at around 25 years old, is probably the oldest one active here, and yet the only reasons I have lost races have been due to my own shortcomings. I have frequently beaten brand-new lasers while racing a similar aged boat in Europe. With a new laser retailing at $10,500 (todays price) thats almost 90% less.
Good sails would be the only performance-related investment I would recommend, but even so, good second hand sails are often available at a fraction of the cost of new.
Moving on...
Next part, as I see it, comes down to the clubs.
IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO JOIN YOU - MAKE YOURSELF ACCESSIBLE.
And by that I don't mean wheelchair ramps etc, I mean welcome new prospects into the club. How many times have you gone into a yacht club to find out about membership, facilities or whatever, to find that the people there make you feel unworthy, because you've just walked in on some chat about their grandchildren, fixing the car, last thursdays lunch or some other random topic?
At the end of the day, you are actually in a sailing club, where people go for sailing. Your number one goal, aside from having lots of fun on the water, should be encouraging people to take up sailing. Here. Now. With you. Increasing your clubs membership. For all you know, that person you just ignored may have 10 friends all wanting to learn. Thats 10 members you wont get. And possibly 10 sailors that will never exist.
And similarly, if a stranger turns up at your club, with gear that is not going to be competitive, take the time to talk to them, and explain to them (tactfully) that you have some extremely good sailors (ex world/national/regional champs etc) in well setup boats, and that they must not get too discouraged if they cant keep up. Through competing and asking questions, they can find solutions to the main problems, and improve over time until they too are battling for the lead. And make sure that a similar thing happens afterward, to make them feel more like coming back to try again next time.
Training and positive reinforcement, and a professional outlook.
It's important for clubs to have designated instructors, and also to have the training information readily to hand for any potential students/members.
The instructors should be suitably qualified, and experienced in the type of boat being used. First aid and powerboating skills are also important. More on this later.
Instead of just rushing around trying to get people out on the water the moment they turn up, have a well thought out lesson plan, and stick to it. Have progression, and take each step slowly, one bit at a time. over a full weekend (around 12-16 hours) you should aim to get students sailing solo with some semblance of control, and able to tack and sail a shallow triangle.
Instructors need to have a professional, positive outlook too, because the people you are teaching have paid, either directly or through the club's system, to learn. This isn't the 1970's military, and we do not shout at our students, or criticise them. EVER. Always find the positives, and praise those, while making suggestions on how to improve. And if you are teaching kids, talk on their level. DO NOT talk down to them. Also encourage the parents to participate, as they are the ones who A, bring their kids to the club, and B, supply the funds if the kids want their own boat. Another possibility is that on a nice day, the parents will decide that the water looks really inviting, and they want to try it out. Let them. Get them hooked. After all, they already have some of the theory from their earlier involvement. and the practical bit is easy once the theory is there!
Small Fish
We are now a minority sport, and I still sense that a lot of clubs have failed to recognise this. I have been barracking other clubs to start supporting each other, as the sum of our parts is greater than the whole, as they say. Why spend the whole season racing at one venue, maybe traveling away to one event. You sail in the same wind, with the same few boats, and get the same results, all year. Anyone who sees the club active with only 15 boats on the water probably wont give it a second thought. If that same person were to see 50+ boats, it would probably ignite some interest somewhere in the back of their mind. Sponsors think the same way.
A joint series involving several clubs could be run easily, only taking away a few events from each club, in turn for a bigger one. If, for example, this series involved the five Manukau Harbour clubs, you could easily get 60 boats at each event, and each club would only lose four sailing days. Different venues, more competition, more exposure, it could work, why not give it a try? After all, most people still take their boats home after each days sailing, so what's an extra 20 minutes drive to another club? Open the entries up to anyone, and you could potentially be overcome with more boats than you can handle. Imagine what that sort of publicity could do for your club.
And there's still more to come...
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