News Around the World
AS: I think there were quite a few, a lot of foot caught in toe strap-type injuries. I ended up with six stitches in one leg and major bruising and a large blood clot in the other. With any of these boats moving at these speeds things are going to happen, but sailors now are pushing a lot harder – that means more risk and obviously the injuries become bigger. SH: What about the gear you take on the chase boat? AS: If we are out with our coach Australian Sailing have always had a strong protocol in place, but many teams around the world are training by themselves just to get enough time on the water. For me I think the learning is constant and ongoing; but I certainly have medic kits and towels and ice-packs ready to go. The SuperFoiler Grand Prix seem to be doing it well with a fully
packed Jet Ski with medics on and off the water; but then how cost-effective and practical is that for Olympic classes and much bigger events? SH: Key advice for new people to the class? AS: Look for the gear, try it and wear it – especially helmets. Some of the clothing manufacturers are looking deeper into this now – Zhik have their Kollition line of impact protection which I haven’t tried yet but I will. I’ve tried other brands, but haven’t found they fit well or protect at the right impact points. So there is plenty of room for improvement through consultation with athletes and coaches. And of course keep your eyes and ears open; then send it, but don’t bend yourself in the process. Blue Robinson
demographics have made a noticeable shift towards grey hair. Here is the existing landscape in the USA: the usual path for
young sailors is through the local yacht club summer programme at the age of about six to 10 in Oppis, Prams, Sabots and the like. At first they are taught the basics of sailing and safety, but quickly this migrates to sailing around buoys, then onto races, then rules... Soon it has progressed towards that slippery slope of regattas, clinics, new boats and equipment, travel squads, bespoke coaching and so on. Many bail out at this point, some switching to other sports or
activities while only a few throttle back and keep sailing on a more casual basis. The retention statistics are shocking: of those who start at age eight, within two years the number of sailors still in the game is down by 20 per cent. By age 12 only 35 per cent are left, and by 18 it’s a mere 15 per cent. Wow... why the burnout? Some say it’s due to the extraordinary expense, coupled
with cultural (often parental) expectations of competitiveness and measurable high achievement, even at an early age. ‘Helicopter’ parents, both with and without sailing back-
grounds, are common. Mummy or Daddy (or the hired coach) do all the preparation, rigging and later cleaning the boats and sort- ing clothes and lunches. Meanwhile, the youngsters are training and racing on strict timelines, often regardless of weather, because the meter is running for the coaches and clinics. For kids who do stay with it – and for whom there is still some
enthusiasm and money left in Mum and Dad’s accounts – there are larger platforms to migrate to. Club 420s and Lasers are popular in the US, along with sailing on high school teams in non-spinnaker Flying Juniors and Club 420s during the school year… this carries on into college as well using the same platforms. In a few areas with reliable breeze a few may start dabbling in skiffs or Moths – while attractive and cool, this is far from widespread. Those with good results, extraordinary enthusiasm and parents
who can add yet another digit to their subsidy rates can go even further, such as towards the Olympic class development squads that groom those who want to go all in. At this level a few other sources of funding may be available to start to ease the pain, such as limited support from US Sailing that goes to the top of the top, and some that may come from youth sailing foundations established by wealthy clubs to help support future Olympians – such as St Francis YC’s support of legends like Paul Cayard, John Bertrand and John Kostecki in the 1980s, and most recently Finn bronze medallist Caleb Paine. Accepting that the Olympic Dream will remain a dream for most,
How it should be… If we want kids to keep sailing it must be fun, sociable and in a perfect world even something slightly cool that they might want to post on Snappichatty. These kids at the 2017 Bic Worlds in Garda get it, so too will hundreds of kids already looking forward to taking up Russell Coutts’s invite to the 2019 worlds in Auckland this December. They’ve all got to have fun
USA Whither goest thou? It’s planning time for our kids’ summer sailing, and at the recent US Sailing leadership forum and throughout junior programmes everywhere there has been much discussion about what the right pathways are for our youth interested in sailing. The stated goals are not necessarily to create winning Olympic-
level sailors – although there’s always a lot of noise about this, considering how the USA podium results have been elusive in the last few cycles – but to create ‘sailors for life’, a phrase used often as a rallying cry to not only stop a slide in participation but also to recruit new members to those innumerable clubs whose
26 SEAHORSE
the issue remains: how can we keep kids in the sport? The same statistics cited above show that the bottom of the retention curve – a pathetic five per cent – is hit at around the age of 24-26 before it starts to creep up again, but even by 40 we are only back up to a measly 15 per cent participation. This is popularly interpreted as twenty-somethings being too busy and too poor in that stage of post-university, early career and young family life to support any sailing habits. Given the frenetic pace of American professional life this seems plausible. However, it still does not help explain why they don’t come back
later when the dust of life settles a little more… or why there is the dramatic drop from pre-teen to teenage junior sailing. Could it be because there is too much over-management of the kids sailing at this age? What about just letting them sail and explore and dream on their own, as many of us were lucky enough to do, without all the heavy programming? Unfortunately perceived fears and the tolerance for risk are not the same as back then, when our mums were just happy to have us get out of the house as long as we were home for supper. So, if the standard model is to blame for its over-competitiveness,
emphasis on rules, coaching and results, and the rote racing format, there are some interesting alternatives that were discussed at the US Sailing forum. Several concerned pulling out of the standard boats to progress to in favour of others such as O’pen Bics. Their attraction is in their simple, robust construction and versatility as a watersport
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