Nicholas Hayes: I do, although I don’t believe by design. We’re so small and so carved up that we have little staying power. This from the book: “In the last thirty years, as fleets and
programs have shifted and specialized, sailors have unknowingly carved their common interest into special interests and at the same time have reduced their staying power as a group. The industry, in turn, has reflected those segments in its offers, and has amplified the effect. Fewer people sail on bigger and bigger boats that consume more and more lake frontage. Sailors with deeper pockets chase design advantages not available to the rest and deter popularization. More people outside of sailing think that sailing is a professional sport of sponsors and celebrities, when, according to the numbers, it isn’t and will never be (at least on a large scale). Most importantly, kids are isolated from parents in programs.” It is easy to conclude that this
isolation correlates to defection, and will leave the next generation believing that sailing is out of the question. Perhaps the most significant impact
“I don’t think anyone should
be ‘sold’ on sailing. I think it should be presented as an option, and a great one, given its grand benefits (freedom, experience and friendship), and then the person should decide for themselves.”
of the book to date is that clubs that used to think that they were competing are coming together to cooperate to rebuild a common base. The opposite of fragmentation is coalescence, and it’s generally easy to do when one is motivated.
US SAILING: Amateurs often compete against professionals. Some believe this is great for the sport. What is your take?
Nicholas Hayes: I don’t know many amateurs who think it is great. (I know, snarky, but true.) Seriously, let’s start here: sailing is only a sport when sailors race. It
is better defined as time spent on the water with family or friends. Racing is just one format, and it represents about 20% of sailing (in terms of time.) Secondly, I like to race, and I like
to take home a flag when I do, but the majority of sailors know that a race is meaningless except in the friendships that it secures and the memories that it makes. This perspective is shared by 99% of sailors, and applies to 99% of starts. Frankly, pros have no place in the vast majority of sailing as it is done today, and I don’t see that changing much. I go to lengths in the book to explain
how sailing as a profession doesn’t sync well with sailing as a pastime. I’ve come to conclude that if someone is able to convince someone else to finance their fun, so be it... but the progress in technique or skill isn’t worth the costs in the whole. I hope your readers will consider the evidence that I present and decide for themselves.
US SAILING: You believe we should be honest about our sport. It is difficult, time consuming, frequently changing and
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48° NORTH, MAY 2010 PAGE 45
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