Is sailing becoming an old man's game?

[Footpad]

Who do you moan about on Sunsail boats?

Come on folks were trying to have it both ways again. Sunsail make their money from gay (in the old sense) young things. Ok they don't own the boats but things change - people enjoy sailing in different ways now perhaps?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by kimhollamby on Wed Jan 30 21:21:14 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[david_e]

Re: Is sailing becoming an old man\'s game?

Think not, in general many traditional sports have seen a dilution of new entrants because of competition from new sports/hobbies/pastimes, just the way it is really.

I started when I was 8, stopped at 16 (work) restarted at 19 as an instructor stopped at 20. Started windsurfing at 24 stopped at 40, took up golf as thought to be an old mans game, bought first yacht at 45 (last year) to get the family interested, they love it, so now we have 2 new young entrants.

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: latest safety gismo

It wasn’t THAT long ago that to have a radio onboard was considered to be at the forefront of safety thinking. Now you feel guilty if you pop along the coast for the day without a life raft.

And, come to think of it, you can’t even get a radio now without ‘auto-distress’ ‘auto-position’ etc. etc.

 

[hlb]

Re: latest safety gismo

well I've passed the days of sailing, but agree with all. I just darnt go to sea these days without radar, radio, chart plotter and whatever. Seriously aware that chart plotter is at leased five years old and needs instant replacement. My 400hp is now a laughably small amount of hp. 20 odd knots is scoffed about. If it dont do 30knots plus. Well yer not in the in crowd.
I'm 50 odd, quite well off, eerr but by what standards. I mean. I dont earn football wages, But then again its not 50 quid a week. Always wondered and perplexed. What is a good wage and when is it reasonble to afford a boat!!

Haydn

 

[Gerry]

Re: Is sailing becoming an old man\'s game?

Have three kids all of whom sail- to varying degrees. son,21, crews on the big boat for us and is competent in dinghies. Daughter,19, was in school sailing team has earnt her day skipper ticket, sails dinghies at University and spends the summer working at a west country sailing club. Daughter,15, sails dinghies prefers the big boat and is a member of one of the tall ships crew this summer,after her 16th birthday.
Plenty of youngsters do it, sailing that is, but there is a point in their 20-30 years when career and nest building overtake often . don't think you need worry too much!

 

[Guest]

Re: Is sailing becoming an old man\'s game?

Becoming an old man's game???????

It always has been.

William Cooper

 

[Guest]

An old fart by temperament

I'm 31, partner's 34 and this is truthfully the first time in our lives that we have had anything like enough spare cash to do it properly. In our 20s we used to spend a lot of time wandering round boat shows or watching wistfully from the bank then saving up for the odd sailing holiday when we could. We were never really taught to sail (tuition = extra cash) but picked it up as we went along.

Time is an appalling problem for everything (including things like eating, sleeping or even being at home at the same time) but we are trying to rearrange our working lives to make room for the boat. In our 20s we had the time, but not the cash. No kids, and no plans to have any, so that's one less complication, at least.

I really did relate to the comment made above about being too old to have my arse in the water - as far as I was concerned 22 was too old for that (but then I'm an old fart by temperament, if not in actual years so far. Perhaps that answers the original question?)