Is a new inter-club regatta the boost to dwindling interest in sailing club membership? Has it's time come, particularly now that there are clubs with one design fleets that can cater for fleet racing?
“Real Madrid captain, Sergio Ramos has reaffirmed his loyalty to his club after the Spanish player broke his nose in Saturday's goalless La Liga draw with Atletico Madrid.
"I would bleed a thousand times for this badge and this shirt. Thanks for your support. I'll be back in no time," he wrote.
There are many examples in the sporting world of athletes putting their physical health on the line in competition, whether it be for club, county, province or country. The privilege of representative honours in many cases results in outstanding on-field performance. While physical danger may not be as present in many sports, there is no doubt that loyalty to the jersey can inspire above average performance levels and team togetherness.
Sailing is a sport structured on clubs. They are fundamental to all aspects of sailing, and in this, sailing is no different from most other sports. Clubs provide the introduction to sailing, access to and storage for equipment, race organisation and social occasions for members. Why then is there no national sailing club competition that seeks to combine the competitive and representative urges? Its not that it doesn’t exist in sailing clubs, - there are interclub competitions in snooker, quizzes and even cookery! And yes, there are some prizes for club entries in some events, but these are largely individual entries grouped conveniently by home club. Team Racing partially fills the void, but this genre does not represent the mainstream activities in club sailing. There were some attempts to get interclub match racing off the ground, but other than these exceptions, are there any club team events, where a team selected by a selection committee, coach or team manager of a club earns club representative honours?
Is this a void that needs to be filled in Irish Sailing? Would it bring a boost to dwindling interest in club membership? Has it's time come, particularly now that there are clubs with one design fleets that can cater for fleet racing?
Afloat would like to suggest the parameters for such an event and recommend its consideration as a new national club event.
- Fleet Racing in one-design keelboats that can accommodate five people.
- Crew to include one under 18, one over 50, and to have a 3:2 gender split.
- Teams to be selected by clubs, no individual entries.
- Clubs to open up selection to all members and to provide evidence of an open, transparent selection process.
- No Cat 3 sailors
With the basis for an event established, the possibility of developing an exciting, inclusive national event becomes feasible. Some outcomes could be
- Regional qualifying
- Club qualifying
- National Representation
- Grand Prize
A well-managed national annual event would have the ability to create a new direction for Irish Sailing, giving clubs an offering to their members that can re-invigorate the club sailing scene.
Is there merit in this suggestion? Reader comments appreciated below
