dylanwinter
Well-Known Member
Other threads have covered the fact that there are a lot more 35 footers around than there ever have been. many people have expressed the opinion that this is not a good thing.
I used to be a producer on Woman's Hour so my feminist credentials are impeccable.
However....deep breath
I blame the women.
Observation will tell you that more men than women sail.
Of the 350 subscribers to my website only two are women. Of the people who watch my youtube films 95 per vcent are men aged 45 to 65.
Yachts cost so much that the decision about whether or not to buy has to be made by both sides of any partnership.
Men dutifully take their wives along and getting them to focus on such important matters as sailing performance, ease of handling, cost of marina berths, shallow draft and all round external beauty when what really matters to most reluctant women sailors is the interior space, the separate sleeping accommodation, easy wipe down surfaces, impractical pale blue velour upholstery, separate showers, double sinks and four gas rings - four gas rings - B'nora!.
The priority seems to be to obtain a vessel with a pleasant, light and roomy interior with enough space for grandchildren or much loved family friends to come sailing - as opposed to a smallish, tough boat designed for one or two smelly men to exist for a week without washing much in the way of clothes, crockery or body parts.
As I sail around the UK I see lots of men sailing single handed in boats that are really far too big for them to handle with ease.
They have been persuaded to buy a bigger boat on the basis that if they buy a big one then their wives, their sons and daughters, their grandchildren and their best friends will come sailing with them. They often do - for the two hots weeks of the year - but that leaves all the other weekends between March and November to fill.
I am probably wrong though.
I used to be a producer on Woman's Hour so my feminist credentials are impeccable.
However....deep breath
I blame the women.
Observation will tell you that more men than women sail.
Of the 350 subscribers to my website only two are women. Of the people who watch my youtube films 95 per vcent are men aged 45 to 65.
Yachts cost so much that the decision about whether or not to buy has to be made by both sides of any partnership.
Men dutifully take their wives along and getting them to focus on such important matters as sailing performance, ease of handling, cost of marina berths, shallow draft and all round external beauty when what really matters to most reluctant women sailors is the interior space, the separate sleeping accommodation, easy wipe down surfaces, impractical pale blue velour upholstery, separate showers, double sinks and four gas rings - four gas rings - B'nora!.
The priority seems to be to obtain a vessel with a pleasant, light and roomy interior with enough space for grandchildren or much loved family friends to come sailing - as opposed to a smallish, tough boat designed for one or two smelly men to exist for a week without washing much in the way of clothes, crockery or body parts.
As I sail around the UK I see lots of men sailing single handed in boats that are really far too big for them to handle with ease.
They have been persuaded to buy a bigger boat on the basis that if they buy a big one then their wives, their sons and daughters, their grandchildren and their best friends will come sailing with them. They often do - for the two hots weeks of the year - but that leaves all the other weekends between March and November to fill.
I am probably wrong though.
