Paul Cayar
Rob Weiland
Opportunity knocks?
The northern hemisphere 2021 sailing season nears its end. It was rather special to return to the wheels, tillers, sheets and winches after the Covid forced stop of so many activities now com- monly labelled as ‘normal’, but quite a number of them certainly already special before 2020. Once settled back in, with the early excitement
of just getting out there not forgotten but no longer the primary adrenaline supplier, soon the broader perspective comes back too. One of the worries, experienced as such throughout our sport, is
the ageing population of those actively engaged in sailboat racing. Average age creeping up and population ageing are of course not restricted to sailboat racing and seen as a problem nearly worldwide. The post-war baby-boom generation completing its move to retirement combined with all kinds of other factors, like declining fertility rates and rising life expectancy, being indicated as the main reasons. Yacht clubs and sailing federations seek ways to attract youth
and then keep youth interested once they are no longer under their parents’ wings, but for the young of today there are so many options, even if just restricted to leisure-time activities. Sailing is a rather complex, often expensive and, foremost, time-
consuming option. With concern the yacht clubs notice the trend towards single and double-handed keelboat racing as this reduces crewing demands (but so too learning options) where the industry primarily sees the potential to sell, maintain and berth more boats. Then most sailing is simply just less sexy than the latest ‘fast and furious’ trends: boards, foils, wings or, still better, combinations
40 SEAHORSE
of these. Anything that makes adults worry… and be jealous. Clubs do not just sit and watch the demise, they buy a fleet of
Waszps and make these available to their youth members, engage their best young sailors in the 69F Youth Foiling Gold Cup, and even look further, like to have a team or at least some crew in the SailGP arena to inspire youth to join their club. And you’ve got to admit: speed and risk appeal when young (at
heart). The market for foiling youth boards and dinghies is booming, kids’ foiling is changing the game! Foiling First! Respectable brands, quick to recognise change, get involved. Like Melges became US dealers for the Australian brands Skeeta and Nikki. Once the kids get older what will be their choice then? Many feel
they will continue to race foilers and bank on this. In the meantime, helped by modern technology whether in body or boat, the proceeds of a life of labour, success and perseverance, but above all driven by passion for their sport, at the very top end ‘boomers’ (do not really like the term) race in size-increasing glamorous yachts, pro- viding great competition plus for many other sailors an income. Also, for a wide audience the type of images we till recently only knew from photos of times gone by, like the J-Class yachts in the 1930s and even older classic schooners. But they do not race just Maxis and Supermaxis, a considerable
percentage of those racing displacement keelboats below Maxi size are ‘seniors’ too. Also at the highest level of competition, like TP52 racing, whether in 52 Super Series or rated. Not that unusual of course – in the 50 years I’ve spent on keelboats the boat owner was often the most senior person on the boat, but as in society
NICO MARTINEZ
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