US sailboat industry down 7% in 2006

[Mychael]

Oh so true.. When I first sailed 20 something years ago. There were lots of little quiet places. Yacht clubs were mainly little shanties and there seemed to be a lot less power boats back then.

Mychael

I guess I must be living in paradise then. In and around Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach ,FL are numerous places to launch small sailboats. At Kelly Park on Merritt Island is the Calema Windsurfing and Sailing school with virtually round the year instruction and activity. And on most weekends literally dozens of boards are out with various other fleets stopping in from time to time including Flying Scots, Lasers and a bunch of high performance cats.And a few one off and experimental boats,too. And it is sunny and mild most of the time.
Now , don't get me wrong: I'm not inviting you to come and STAY because the downside is that there are these big lizards crawling around everywhere, and snakes and big barnacle encrusted mamalian creatures just below the surface not to mention sharks,barracudas and Old White Men driving Cadilacs. So you see, you wouldn't really want to STAY--but do come for a visit.......

[CT 249]

Middle Harbour in Sydney wasn't bad today. There were the usual yacht fleets. A dozen Tasars, a few 505s, International Cadets, and a menagerie of other dinghies were racing at one club. The world Moth champ (out from the UK and using the Bladerider proto; nice) and three other foiler Moths and another Moth or two were out having a zap - the class numbers seem to be growing, albiet fairly slowly. Then the world Laser champion came past, chased by some keen youngsters. There was the national 16 Foot Skiff champ and a couple of dozen other skiffs. Oh, and 77 boats (Lasers, 505s, Cats, Mirrors etc) in a scout regatta. Well over 100 dinghies in a space about 2nm by 0.7nm max.

If you went out Middle Harbour, you'd pass the sailing grounds of the Manly clubs (50+ juniors and skiffs) and then turn into the main harbour, which stretches about 8nm past a dozen or more clubs- Lasers, 18 Foot Skiffs, Tasars, more Lasers, 12 and 14 Foot Skiffs, more Lasers, Even the last club as you go up harbour had 80 boards and boards out racing last weekend, and the river stretches beyond that. I think we have 14 Laser fleets alone in the city, ignoring all other classes.

Tomorrow is another day and we'll share Middle Harbour with two Laser fleets (each headed by an Olympian), another Tasar fleet, a dozen or so the NS14s, the the older Moths, and a couple of dozen Manly Juniors, plus the scout regatta.

So my past two Saturdays have been spent sailing in fleets averaging 78 boats (dinghies, skiffs, cats and boards) but they are lost among the other fleets. It's not a bad place to sail in, really.

I had an interesting chat with a former commodore of the skiff club I sometimes sailed at as a kid. Their fleet is growing nicely, with a minor change in the kid's programme leading to overflowing classes (just like my own club). There is, if anything, a resurgence in optimism among quite a few small boat classes and clubs here. While the fast boats are visible, and their image helps the sport, the message seems to be that the clubs and classes that are looking critically at themselves rather than looking for gee wizz solutions or blaming external influences are actually growing nicely.

The scout regatta takes place in one of our most affluent suburbs, and most of the scout groups that competed come from similar areas. Attendance has doubled over the past few years, I was told - there's now about 800 kids sailing, canoeing, and rowing in the event. Most of them find a Laser more than enough of a handful, and more than exciting enough.