Racial Bias (Part II)

[rhinorhino]

So we are broadly agreed, in the UK sailing is largely a "white" or if you want to use Orwell's words, a "pinko-grey" activity.
Does the lack of ethnic mixing matter?
If so what can / should be done about it?

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[Mirelle]

Some thoughts

1. Sailing has become something that, by and large, older people do. Often they are older people who sailed dinghies thirty or forty years ago, when the place was pinko-greyer than it is now. I think this comes into it somewhere. I do have a boat owning friend, highly competent, who is (a) Chinese and (b) female and (c) my age, but she was sailing dinghies thirty years ago!

2. Plenty of non-pinko-grey wives and sprogs sail. There does seem to be a shortage of non-pinko-grey husbands who sail. I can only count two. I think this has to do with who was sailing dinghies forty years ago!

3. I don't really think its an issue. We've never encountered any reaction at all, neither hostility nor faux bonhomie. This includes fairly snotti Clubs.

4. Mind you, it's against my principles to encourage anyone to take up sailing - everyone should play golf, and drive secondhand boat prices and marina fees down!

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[Robin]

Sailing is largely an activity for....well, people who LOVE sailing, that is the only qualification required. Such people may be considered a suppressed minority but they will nonetheless find a way to participate if their DESIRE is great enough. That LOVE of sailing will keep them dedicated to the task in their chosen area, from crewing for others in dinghies or bigger boats to buying and running their own or even being the money behind say an Americas Cup bid.

Of course, like all suppressed minorities, they risk becoming the target of government intervention. This will probably take the form of increased taxation, possibly a 40% tax levy on winds above F2, 50% if they come from a favourable direction. Income from this will be used to provide Sailing Introduction Tax Credits to 'Would Be Sailors' and there will be a Sailing Czar appointed to oversee the training of special trainers and to run the RYA. Special areas of all dinghy parks and marinas will be marked and set aside waiting for the anticipated influx of newcomers.

When however these 'Would Be Sailors' discover that their LOVE of sailing was but a passing infatuation, they will be given 'Withdrawal Tax Credits' to help them re-integrate into normal life, together with special discounts towards membership of Man U's Supporter's Club and a signed photo of Tony Blair holding a WMD.

Are you perchance a potential candidate for selection as an MP?



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[kingfisher]

1. Since when is race an issue in sailing ?
2. Go elsewhere. Leave us alone.

Kim, help, modern society is invading my sailing existence, which I hold to be the last bastion of real life, with real issues. Please abolish PC from my PC

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[chas]

So what?
No
Nothing

If anyone wants to come sailing with me, they are most welcome whatever their skin colour - as long as they do not snore too loudly and are good company.

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[AndrewJ]

I think rhino should make a special point of inviting/pressing a group of "minority" persons, (this term now depends on the specific area in question as to who/whom is the minority)for a sailing trip, expounding on the merits of equal opportunity and voting for him/her in the next election. Perhaps this could even be extended to inviting these minority persons to reside aboard his vessel, strictly in the vein of demonstrating the joys of sailing. This would have the added benefit of clearing more space for more "minority" persons to reside in the ashore quarters that were previously occupied. Or perhaps rhino should just let things go, if "minority" persons want to go sailing, they will, there is no need to push this issue, unless again, you're looking for election to some post and want to be seen as the good guy.

<hr width=100% size=1>The only easy day was yesterday

 

[aod]

I agree I think this has been done to death now!

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[Evadne]

Looking around at work, for example, I am only one of the 10% or fewer people who go sailing. That makes me in the minority. If you start to try and work out how many people who make up a minority of the general population should appear in this minority, the numbers start to come out very small indeed. In this country, anyone who wants to buy a boat and go sailing is only limited by cash and willpower. (I've never thought of the racist angle to legislating against boating, but there it is.) As long as that is true I don't care who does it, or what colour they are, as long as they don't hassle me while I'm doing it.

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[poter]

This is a wind up!

I had the impression on the first part that it was a wind up.............

Now Mr. rhino yoo have gone & stuck your head above the parapet again & it is getting shot at!!!

poter

just leave it!!!!!!

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[Peppermint]

Perhaps the BBC could visit yacht clubs undercover.

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[Birdseye]

If I thought that the lack of racial mixing was deliberate / enforced, then it would matter. I dont - I think its simply an issuer of getting numbers of ethnic minorities into the age / socio economic group that goes sailing, which is a matter of time alone.

Its happened in other sports and pastimes - it will happen in sailing.

There is a much more significant issue about getting more young people of any background involved at club level. Only a minority of clubs now have an active youth sailing section. Many, like my own, are clubs of the middle aged.

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