The demise of TVR

Ramage said:
The forum do held at Windsor Marina was a great success thanks to the hospitality of Mike Gates of MDL and The Windsor Yacht Club.
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We've organised a couple of Forum "Meets" at Windsor, both in early September and both blessed with good weather.

However, response seems to be very unpredictable - one year we suggest it and it goes swimmingly. A year or two later we suggest it again and the response is very poor.

We did have a mini meet at Byrons once but it is rather a long way upriver for most people and not there and back on a weekend territory for most of us.

Funding and pricing is always an issue. Mike Gates has been very good to us but we cant always expect others to help fund our fun and arranging food/meals etc can be cheap or expensive - either of which doesnt usually satisfy everybody !

I personally question whether the boat handling and blue blazer stuff hasn't really had its day - certainly the majority of folk seem to shy away from it. I did enter the boat handling last year at the TVR but it was really just to shock/surprise a few people rather than with serious intent.
 
TVR

Not having the TVR will be a great loss to the river as being the “first” event it kicked the season off.

Of course MDL Thames marinas will assist should we be asked, we already sponsor both the TVR and ATYC rally’s. I am happy to sit with people and see if a plan can be drawn up
 
boatone said:
I personally question whether the boat handling and blue blazer stuff hasn't really had its day - certainly the majority of folk seem to shy away from it.
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Precisely!

ATYC also had very low turnout this year so I think there is a trend.

I would love to get more involved with TVR, but in the real world, unless you run your own business or are retired - your time is not your own and not that easy to volunteer for something when you maybe on client site in Manchester that week (that month sometimes!)..

The Business owners are also feeling the pinch and need to save their companies. Times are desperate out there.

That leaves retirees and they are reducing in numbers.

Will miss the TVR but will still be in Henley at Mayday.
 
ATYC

Excellent event that TVR was, it is always sad when things like this have to close down.
Both ATYC and TVR were suffering from lack of enthusiasm and chasing similar sponsorship, so perhaps this is an opportunity to put all our support behind ATYC?
ATYC represents ALL Thames boat clubs rather than 4.
It has always offered the same format as TVR with a mix of social and competition, together with 3 Rally sites, Docklands, Kingston and Henley.
I have a suspicion that Chris Turner and his ATYC team are already talking with the primary movers of TVR to ensure that ATYC receives maximum benefit from the demise of TVR.
I look forward to news of ATYC intentions for 2011.

Oops. Hadn't seen pages 2 and 3.
Probably already said.
 
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boatone said:
I personally question whether the boat handling and blue blazer stuff hasn't really had its day - certainly the majority of folk seem to shy away from it.
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I think Tony has hit the nail on the head here and it is one of these things that nobody really wants to talk about, tradition is great but Boats clubs will die unless they move on.

The boat handling could attract more entries if it appeared to actualy be fun rather than sitting an exam, a Test may say " Simply pat your head whilst rotating free hand on stomach and hopping on one leg". But afterwards you find you've lost 60 points because the judge expected you to start patting on an upstroke not down, rotated your hand clockwise not counter and failed to declare that you were going to hop on the starboard leg before hand:)

Also I think everybody likes to dress up smart and everybody has a jacket, shirt and tie they feel comfortable in, however the idea of wearing a "uniform" is just not appealing anymore.

It will be a shame if these events stop and the River will be the poorer for it, but a new generation is starting (or not in most cases) boating now and Clubs need to cater for them.
 
miket said:
ATYC represents ALL Thames boat clubs rather than 4.
It has always offered the same format as TVR with a mix of social and competition, together with 3 Rally sites, Docklands, Kingston and Henley.
I have a suspicion that Chris Turner and his ATYC team are already talking with the primary movers of TVR to ensure that ATYC receives maximum benefit from the demise of TVR.
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I would be surprised if the demise f the TVR makes much, if any, difference to the ATYC rally scene - except that they will have the May option to August Bank Holiday if they choose to use it.

Of the three venues the ATYC uses Henley and Docklands seem popular but Kingston not so much. Also, I got the feeling in my short time in the club scene that the attraction of the TVR was that of a more friendly and informal sort of event in comparison to the ATYC rally.

As for Chris talking with the primary movers in the TVR it would appear that there aren't any or it would not have packed up !
 
More optimism

Perhaps I am just more optimistic than you are Tony?
I see this as an opportunity for ATYC.
If some percieve ATYC to be too starchy then this is the opportunity to change and get away from that.
If people don't want to dress up in blazers and whites then, heh, now is the time to say smart casual if that is what is wanted.
To be fair to ATYC, when it comes to boat handling competitions they have tried everything from ultra serious to pretty much "tick box" tests. Perhaps we should try 2 levels? A serious one with little info' until the day for the pot hunters and a fun one, using the same tests, but for novices only, with assistance from regulars and possibly not even marked!! Back to the original thought of an opportunity for those of modest expertise to benefit from those with more?
You could even have a "Veterans" entry for grumpy old men like me and Apollo and no marks lost for fenders up or down!
Lets hope the clubs and ATYC make the most of this.
 
Then how about an MDL rally?

Seriously, as one of the major players on the Upper Thames, and with locations between PH and Bray, a meet at Windsor would be logical, especially as most Windsor Table decorating and Yachting Club seem to shy away from the actual Boating stuff.

Windsor itself is a great venue other than the risk of muddying ones fenders, and surely enough space can be reserved in advance!?

Marina members as well as other Clubs could be invited, and it should provide some new interest to MDL customers as well as the rest of us.

A Gazebo could be provided, but food and entertainment split between the clubs, and the costs shared by a very reasonable entry fee.

I would (And since a recent job change, Can) be prepared to assist in a major way, and I'm sure others would love to.

The YBW forum would be a great source of creative ideas, with culinary suggestions, in house Music bods and other worldly wise Boating people, who could suggest some entertainment!
 
miket said:
Perhaps I am just more optimistic than you are Tony?
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Actually Mike I like to think I tend towards optimism rather than pessimism but in this case I think I simply being a realist!

Do you really think the wind of change can blow that strongly and overcome the old guard determination to keep things the way they are?

To be fair to ATYC, when it comes to boat handling competitions they have tried everything from ultra serious to pretty much "tick box" tests.
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So , if they really have tried that hard doesn't that indicate that it IS time for something different ? Or perhaps we have to recognise that times are changing?

There are something like 8,000 powerboat users on the non-tidal Thames and, as I understand it, only about 800 or so belong to ATYC clubs and only about 10% to 15% of those attend the rallies (and some of those are from the tideway). Once those 10-15% start losing interest its not long before there just isn't enough support to sustain events.
 
miket said:
You could even have a "Veterans" entry for grumpy old men like me and Apollo and no marks lost for fenders up or down!
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Grumpy, moi?

not-me-A4_poster.gif
 
We are losing our members to the undertaker, or natural old age symptoms.

Trouble is, boating is pretty dear, so we need to think about smaller boat users too.

How about giving people a REASON to own a Boat!?

Without Bray CC, the events and lovely members, we might have given up Boating a year or two ago, as simply plodding up and down the river most weekends does eventually get a bit samey.

Throw in a bit of lively social life and some challenging yet entertaining events, and it's a whole new game!
 
No Regrets said:
How about giving people a REASON to own a Boat!?

Without Bray CC, the events and lovely members, we might have given up Boating a year or two ago, as simply plodding up and down the river most weekends does eventually get a bit samey.
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Most people don't regard belonging to a club as being a necessary adjunct to owning a boat. We all form our friendly alliances with others on the river and they will continue regardless of club allegiances. For us, just bumping into folk we know without expecting it often leads to pleasant weekends which have been completely unplanned.

Clubs aren't everybody's cup of tea and Bray is particularly lucky that the current membership and programme results in a thriving community.

You have yet to reach the 8th level of Zen, John, when your own quiet satisfaction will transcend anything that requires the involvement of others.
 
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