Lake Michigan SuRF Newsletter - LMSRF

The electronic sailing newsletter, Scuttlebutt, picked up McCarthy’s article on "Beer and Segregation" and the
following responses were shared:
I read Glenn McCarthy's piece in Scuttlebutt 3688 with interest. He is right as far as he goes. This last weekend I
was working a Snipe regatta as a judge (it was a qualifier for the 2013 Worlds) and we were doing Appendix P on
water. For Sunday, we were short one judge and it seemed like a no-brainer to ask if one of the High School kids
that sail out of our club would like to come over to the 'Dark Side' and see Rule 42 enforcement from a judge boat.
Of the 24 kids who were practicing at our club on Friday afternoon, not one - not a single one - was interested in
working with two International Judges and a Canadian Provincial Judge. Sounds a bit like self segregation to me.
-Hugh Elliot
I loved Glenn McCarthy's piece. So true and, by the way, I would have given anything to sail on Inferno but growing
up in Toronto had to make do with Bonaventure - those great days of C&C!
-Jay Cross
The lead article by Glenn McCarthy in Scuttlebutt 3688 is spot on.
-Larry Colantuono
I must take the dissenting view on Glenn McCarthy’s (Scuttlebutt 3688) opinion. I have just come to the end of my
daughter’s involvement with youth sailing. She just graduated college this spring after sailing on her own since 6-7
years in the Opti. She is currently figuring out the next step, graduate school, work, etc. At this time she is sailing
and doing some coaching.
She, along with others her age, are doing the same thing. It seems to me there are many more involved now than
when I was her age, some 35+ years ago. Times have changed. We no longer have the time for the every weekend
multi-class regattas which I participated in on Great South Bay of Long Island. These events were very multigeneration
friendly. Our leisure time is more limited now and we must get as much out of it as we can. Hence
more class regattas, both youth and adult.
There are many current examples of multi-generation sailing. Take the Lightning and Thistle classes. Both of these
classes have sailors from preteen to older than dirt. I was at Cedar Point in Connecticut a couple of years ago for
the Thistle Nationals where the age range spanned was from 10 to 70 years old. Most of the people I know who are
concerned (negatively) with youth in sailing are older than dirt, have not been involved in youth sailing for decades
(except for the discussions with like minded geriatrics at the bar), or are sailors who have never been involved in
youth sailing.
I myself; after chairing two Optimist Nationals, a Leiter Cup, been involved with the Youth Council of US Sailing,
had a daughter who sailed in 4 college nationals, and last weekend was PRO at a high school regional champs and
coached Optimists; have a different perspective. I believe the glass is better than half full and getting fuller (may
even need a larger glass). The youth sailors of today are better trained & experienced than when I was a youth.
This is partly thanks to the efforts of US Sailing and their training committee. It is also partly thanks to the classes
(Optimist, 420, Laser, and others) which work in today’s culture.
I do not know any soccer players who I played with in high school and college that are still playing, but I do know
many sailors who I grew up with who are still sailing! I don’t think this will change much in the future. I do think
we need more beer in sailing though, and since Glenn seems to be knowledgeable maybe he could devote his
efforts to brewing rather than opining on youth sailing.
-Roger Baker
Lake Michigan Sail Racing Federation 28 November 2012 Newsletter