If we were to take a survey and ask each member how many hours they actually spent on the water, cruising or racing, last year, I'm sure the numbers would be a whole lot smaller than the year before. A survey would be a good thing to do by the way. Not only does the CS&PS have declining numbers, but the actual time spent on the water is also declining I believe, from my observations. Boating is in serious trouble.
In my opinion we are not alone in this mess, yacht clubs have been hit hard too, and they are actively out there trying to get membership, cutting prices, offering incentives and making their programs more member friendly. US Sailing's solution is, like the carpenter, using what they know and are good at, racing, to bring new life into boating. This next Americas Cup Campaign, has similar goals, is just beginning with the promise of many more hours of TV Coverage, new exciting venues and lots of action with the AC45 Catamarans. But sailboat racers are boaters. They need the skills that we should be teaching, the basic tools and advanced tools of boat handling and navigation all play a roll in getting around the buoys and to the next waypoint and port. And there are other opportunities that we should look at to encourage safer boating. Boat maintenance, upgrading electronics, safety at sea, vest selection for inshore and offshore racers and so on are all things we can provide.
I think, my opinion, it is time to get more deeply involved in Sailing, both racing and cruising from both a social and educational perspective. And perhaps personally members should take a careful look at how much or little they actually know about sailing, sailboat handling, and sailboat performance. We are the experts, we take and teach the courses to make boating fun and safe. I believe we should take a moment and look at what we were doing in the past, reevaluate what we did, what worked, what didn't and come to an agreement about how we can do better going forward.
I attended several seminars this winter and spring sponsored by various groups including the Waukegan Sail and Power Squadron, Waukegan Yacht Club, Chicago Yacht Club, and the Tartan T-10Fleet.. There was a full house at each of these events. Membership committees were out in full force at each of these events talking up their club. Actively looking to sign up new members.
The new meeting location is a great location for Chicago boaters to meet. Seminars on interesting topics to Sail Boaters, both race and cruise would really attract a good crowd. We need something/someone to drive our membership and educational programs and maintain our long standing record of excellent service to the boating community.
Please feel free to post your comments here or email them to me directly.
Sincerely,
Thomas King, AP
Sailor
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