Declining numbers of Sailors

Seajet said:
Funny how my self help club is flourishing...
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I think it's an exception to the rule.

Many clubs have ageing memberships- at some point the numbers will start to decline markedly as the long term members start dieing faster than new members join.

Some of that is the natural bulge of baby boomers starting to fall off their perches and I think many dinghy clubs / classes are doing ok but it's a different case for yacht clubs.
 
jac said:
I think it's an exception to the rule.

Many clubs have ageing memberships- at some point the numbers will start to decline markedly as the long term members start dieing faster than new members join.

Some of that is the natural bulge of baby boomers starting to fall off their perches and I think many dinghy clubs / classes are doing ok but it's a different case for yacht clubs.
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As I've mentioned we have young - say 20ish - and young middle aged people buying cruisers of various sizes; a club just has to make an effort and not be lazy.
 
Seajet said:
As I've mentioned we have young - say 20ish - and young middle aged people buying cruisers of various sizes; a club just has to make an effort and not be lazy.
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Too true Andy, too true.

I think too many rested on their laurels for too long, ignoring the steadily aging membership. They then wonder why younger people ( say in 40's or 50's) are perhaps reluctant to join as they will be the age of the existing members children. They then fail to refresh what they offer to members and become even further stuck in the past. I wonder how many of those will fail.
 
Seajet said:
As I've mentioned we have young - say 20ish - and young middle aged people buying cruisers of various sizes; a club just has to make an effort and not be lazy.
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It may be that your club has successfully attracted all the young people who would otherwise be getting frustrated and giving up at other nearby clubs.
 
jac said:
I think too many rested on their laurels for too long, ignoring the steadily aging membership. They then wonder why younger people ( say in 40's or 50's) are perhaps reluctant to join as they will be the age of the existing members children. They then fail to refresh what they offer to members and become even further stuck in the past. I wonder how many of those will fail.
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In the Higher Education world we talk about "recruitment" and "selection" universities and courses. I suspect that quite a few yacht clubs still like to think of themselves as selecting when what they really need to do is get out there and recruit.
 
Not that long ago I considered myself lucky to crew a top boat at Itchenor SC - possibly the nicest located, most expensive club in Chichester Harbour - which is saying something !

I must add, a very friendly club too.

Then a while ago I nearly crashed my car, there on the Stockbridge roundabout, was a sign

' Itchenor Sailing Club - Open Day '

Never in my most fevered dreams had I imagined that happening as a youngster, but they too have got the ' recruit not select ' message, though I don't think jetski's need apply just yet. :)
 
JumbleDuck said:
In the Higher Education world we talk about "recruitment" and "selection" universities and courses. I suspect that quite a few yacht clubs still like to think of themselves as selecting when what they really need to do is get out there and recruit.
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Exactly.

In many ways, the last few decades have been too easy for many organisations in the boating world. An increasingly wealthy group of sailors that was part of a large demographic moving up in size every few years. Now getting older and looking for more toys to assist them with their continuing sailing into old age.

That is probably just past it's peak now. The baby boomers are retiring and will probably start downsizing / giving up in a few years. Clubs / marine businesses will have to try a little bit harder to retain their volumes in a declining market.
 
Seajet said:
Well it seems to be, as they get a good friendly sailing club with a boat hoist, dinghy fleets and all the facilities.

What more do they want, a franchise to Burger King & the Playboy Mansion on site ?!:rolleyes:
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The marketing of sailing in dinghies or yachts just doesnt fit anymore. The below details the perceptions not necessarily the reality WE know.
sailing is not seen on TV
when seen if racing it is unclear what is happening - a just like test cricket modern audience dont want complex rules and hidden strategy.
For the energetic its not seen as energetic so if attracted will go kite or windsurfing, but running, cycling or the Gym are seen as better
For the "Makers" and fiddlers the entry level is too expensive and has to take place in either a large space or far from home
For the status conscious it has an appeal but motorcraft do the same and motorcraft don't require the learning of skills that can dent ones status. If persuaded to have a yacht they dont take it out. Hence the filling of marinas more motorcraft and vessels that dont move. Status concious, but sailing averse yacht owners engage in the marina equivalent of bed blocking.
"Roughing it" is no longer in vogue. Camping declines hotel stops and caravans increase. Yachts unless luxurious are percieved as roughing it compared to caravans, So
those with wander lust buy a caravan or just stay in hotels.
Sailing requires a long attention span - The activities take a a devotion of large blocks of time and whiles doing it you cant switch off the sails and do twitter, facebook and snapchat for a few minutes and then switch them back on easily.



Derek Aged 60 who sails and sleeps on board a Seascape 18 and wonders why that draws attention in a marina :)
 
Cloona said:
I think the mental and physical condition of young people in this country is declining very rapidly .. ..

over protective parents, computer games, poor diet, too much focus on exams, culture of blame regarding accidents, risk averse institutions, fear of the outdoors, fear of wandering around all day without mummy and daddy supervising you ..... FFS sake some people have their kids on a tracking GPS ... phones preventing normal interaction developing - unrealistic life expectations
being normalised etc etc etc etc ..

Around the Solent you see the 10 -5 sailing of a generation who expect to be in the pub/restaurant by 7 whatever the tide is doing .......

when i was a kid we all had scabby knees all the time ..... now you hardly ever see them - just glum faces staring out of the back of the car ...

i feel terribly sad when i see the overweight youngsters eating crap - before i had my paper round my personal disposable income was ZERO and so was all the other boys and it was better that way - no money worries.

On the tube the other day Father and son of maybe 10 sat on seats - train fills up. Of course youngster on half fare should be made to give up his seat ... never occurred to the dad that his little prince ...

my tells the story of the kids running around being a nuisance on the ferry to IoW - bang into him and his mate - youngster gives out a bit of lip - so dads mate grabs kid and dangles him over the rail by his ankles ....

anyway its always a pleasure to see youngsters screaming and shouting and skylarking around .... just increasingly rare ..

rant over .....
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All those marina berths going spare! What's not to love.
 
laika said:
I'm never entirely sure in these threads why fewer people on the water is a Bad Thing. The other side of the coin are threads about over-crowding and densely-packed marinas replacing traditional moorings. Obviously a contracting market is bad for people making a living in the sailing industry but for those who finance their sailing by other means? I don't think I'd lament a buyers' market for marina space, shorter waiting times for river moorings and the prospect of getting a berth when turning up late at Yarmouth on a summer's saturday night.

I'm quite willing to have my mind changed, I just don't get why this is so "Bad"
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Ah! but think of the effect on 2nd hand boat prices, when you come to sell.

I fear the "study" is possibly fatally flawed - more and more people don't sink their money into their own boat and horrid British Isles weather, but prefer to jet away to sunnier climes and a charter boat; keeping their capital intact.
 
Flica said:
Ah! but think of the effect on 2nd hand boat prices, when you come to sell.

I fear the "study" is possibly fatally flawed - more and more people don't sink their money into their own boat and horrid British Isles weather, but prefer to jet away to sunnier climes and a charter boat; keeping their capital intact.
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It would be interesting to see the stats on that. Low cost flights are certainly an enabling factor, but there is a flaw, to charter you need experience and qualifications. As the existing people die off they may not be replaced with qualified people so fast.
 
ylop said:
It would be interesting to see the stats on that. Low cost flights are certainly an enabling factor, but there is a flaw, to charter you need experience and qualifications. As the existing people die off they may not be replaced with qualified people so fast.
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Don't kid yourself - about charterers needing to be "experienced" - usually Brits are, Germans seldom and Russians never - in Greek waters, where I've been for the last 7 years.
 
roblpm said:
You could continue with how when they get in their 20s they spend all their money on iPhones and foreign holidays. So will never be able to afford a house. Totally their fault.
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Add in cars (not just old bangers), wall to wall TV’s and subscriptions to Netflix, Sky BT etc. far too much eating out: so no wish to exercise, be outdoors, rough it, get wet and cold. Neither do they make time to do these outdoor sports which take up at least half a day such as dinghy racing, golf and a decent session of tennis.
 
ylop said:
It would be interesting to see the stats on that. Low cost flights are certainly an enabling factor, but there is a flaw, to charter you need experience and qualifications. As the existing people die off they may not be replaced with qualified people so fast.
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Can't you do a flotilla with zero experience?
And it sounds as thought the RYA courses side of things is doing OK, it's just that people do the course and then lots of them never sail again.
Some of the most active sailors I know are the ones who just bought a boat and got on with it. Conversely I know plenty people who have done a course or two and never set foot on a boat afterwards.
 
Well this thread seems to have a freshening breeze in its sails. The new YBW editorial team are asking on another thread for ideas. No shortage of those here if YBW is interested in some serious journalism. An added factor which is becoming more pointed with every news broadcast is the increasing threat to the international traveller ranging from international terrorism at worst to dreadful travelling conditions and quality of service at airports at best. A UK based mooring of any type is the better bet for me - despite the weather! CBT
 
ylop said:
… to charter you need experience and qualifications.
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An acquaintance of mine matches this description - he and his wife went from zero to Day Skipper a couple of years ago, doing it after an introductory course and competent crew over the course of 2 or 3 holidays. He said the hardest part was the day skipper theory. His wife is the driving force, and they don't like the idea of tides, so just charter abroad.
 
ctelfer38 said:
Well this thread seems to have a freshening breeze in its sails. The new YBW editorial team are asking on another thread for ideas. No shortage of those here if YBW is interested in some serious journalism. An added factor which is becoming more pointed with every news broadcast is the increasing threat to the international traveller ranging from international terrorism at worst to dreadful travelling conditions and quality of service at airports at best. A UK based mooring of any type is the better bet for me - despite the weather! CBT
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Can't agree. We used to do French west coast for several years which was brilliant and then brought the boat down to the Algarve. All year sailing if you want, much cheaper marinas and moorings (if you can find a mooring), cheaper food and drink, air fares often <£25, much more relaxed and no-one's afraid to walk around dark streets at night.
 
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