Best sailing nation....

[NZL32 11]

With the Olympics nearly finished it's interesting to see who the powerhouse of world sailing is... And who have fallen down the ranks.

The British have the best team.

The European continent are best...

And the kiwis and Americans have fallen to the bottom.

Maybe dominating the AC ruins your sailing base?

...

[Wetabehindtheears 148]

If my area is any indication of where sailing is headed in the US, then send flowers because sailing here is on its death bed.

[EYESAILOR 1,653]

Medals thus far:

GBR :   4

NLD : 3

GER : 3

FRA : 2

GBR will get at least one more

AUS will get at least one more bringing them to 2.

On a per capita basis, NLDs for a small country of 17 million has produced a lot of sailing medals. But yes, the UK combination of talent base, superb coaching and funding has again produced amazing results.

[ROADKILL666 533]

Well we know us sailing sucks as of lately 

[Rum Runner 408]

Why make this a national thing? 

[dullers 467]

Armada, Trafalgar and Tokyo.   Drake, Nelson and Scott. All gold medal winners or gold plunderers. 

[EYESAILOR 1,653]

28 minutes ago, Rum Runner said:

Why make this a national thing? 

Kind of agree but it is interesting to see which countries generate Olympic sailors.   I think the US was hurt when kite boarding was deferred until paris. It should have been at Rio and Tokyo.  It is something that Americans seem to be good at....but a lot of new talent from new places is emerging, so who knows in 3 years time?

[IStream 3,415]

55 minutes ago, Rum Runner said:

Why make this a national thing? 

Isn't "making this a national thing" kinda the whole olympics brand?

[EYESAILOR 1,653]

3 hours ago, NZL32 said:

Maybe dominating the AC ruins your sailing base?

...

In theory the AC should provide an incentive because ....in theory.....it offers a professional career in sailing post the Olympics.   However recent events have shown how unpredictable that career is and how hard it is to make a living as an athlete in the sport. 

[blurocketsmate 109]

4 hours ago, Rum Runner said:

Why make this a national thing? 

Indeed, nationalism is a disease.

I had always hoped the Olympics would grow beyond it.

[IStream 3,415]

Nationalism may be a disease but it's also a fact and it's not going away. I thought one of the ideas behind the Olympics was that nations could compete in sport rather than in war?

[Left Shift 3,613]

Anybody think this guy may have something to do with it?   At least, he's bothered to "attend" the Games.   

But, we've got more Olympic medalists on the membership role at my local club than he's ever coached.  It's not impossible for the US to do well at the Olympics.  Just not recently, it seems.

Luther Carpenter, Olympic Head Coach

[email protected]

Luther Carpenter has been an Olympic coach at US Sailing for 30 years and has attended eight Olympic Games with Team USA. He is the most successful Olympic sailing coach in U.S. history, and one of the best in the history of the sport, having guided athletes to five medals in an unprecedented four different classes.

[NZL32 11]

In NZ the official sailing management/governance is run by Sailing NZ.

Thief main funding comes from Sport NZ and is for Olympic medal s to be won. 

 This Sailing NZ forgets about clubs and building a base of many sailors and focuses on rich elite sailor to go overseas and qualify the classes for Olympic participation .... Therefore resulting in low participation at the grass roots level and a small bunch of elite doing the heavy lifting.

 

Clubs are down in numbers which means less numbers in means less numbers to rise to the top.

[NZL32 11]

4 hours ago, EYESAILOR said:

Medals thus far:

GBR :   4

NLD : 3

GER : 3

FRA : 2

GBR will get at least one more

AUS will get at least one more bringing them to 2.

On a per capita basis, NLDs for a small country of 17 million has produced a lot of sailing medals. But yes, the UK combination of talent base, superb coaching and funding has again produced amazing results.

Spain got close to a few too as well as Greece

[Squalamax 75]

1 hour ago, blurocketsmate said:

Indeed, nationalism is a disease.

I had always hoped the Olympics would grow beyond it.

That's the point of the Olympics. A competition amongst nations. 

[Pertsa 269]

I never understood why nationalism is bad thing. As long as you don't start shooting your neighbours because of it.

After all, it seems to be only way people can build somewhat stable systems. World of individualists wont work and as long as we cannot get country called "earth" it is next best thing. And for most people in  the world their ability to work for common good seems to be limited to tribalism or thinking of best of own family so no change for anything larger than countries. 

 

Anyway, I am little disappointed that Finland didn't get anything. I think we are fighting similar fight with USA, lack of funds for young sailors. Many my friends sailed optis and zoom8´s (very nice little dinghy btw.) but none I know continued to competitions outside my area. But situation at coastal areas might be better, I dont know.

[Santanasailor 639]

Sailing in the United States of America pictured below.  Beneteau 60, or if one chooses a Catalina 545. (Not pictured) 

Nice boats, prices starting somewhere north of 7 figures.  

Just what a fellow needs to buy to introduce himself to sailing.  

The Europeans get folks going (not children, Adults!) in boats that are small, affordable and generally fun.  Easy to rig, maybe easy or maybe difficult to sail but either way a whole lot of fun.  The olympics are sailed in boats that are small, affordable and usually a bit difficult to sail, but one to two sailors are all that are required, not the 24 or so a Maxi requires.  

Now, the simple question.  You can put 24 people on a one super yacht or 2 people in 12, 2 person dinghies.  Which develops better sailors?  Which develops men and women who have a better chance to win medals in Olympic Games sailed in dinghies. 

Yes, more money can be made building one boat larger than 60 feet than building 3 boats that are 20 feet or 5 boats that are 12 feet.  Want more sailors winning, get more sailors involved in the boats that are being raced in the olympics.  It has to be done at the club level.

One more thought, go big or go home.  Not what you think it says.  Build a huge base, build it with small, cheap and fun. OR, Put all you efforts into the very small, groupes of elite sailors (or cyclists, or water skiers, or Marksman, or any other number of sports who aspire to get into the Olympics or maintain thier elite athletes inthe olympics) and your sport will die a quick and miserable and expensive death.  As Randy Poush said, “when you get the Basics down the complicated stuff gets easy. “. Paraphrased, when you get the base going, the elites will appear in droves and keep on appearing  

 

 

 

[George Dewey 119]

US Sailing put out this message about the US Olympic Sailing results the other day. It goes on a bit but really does not say much, other than a mention that more resources are needed and we should all get involved. I do wonder if US Sailing is up to the task.

https://mailchi.mp/ussailing/tokyo-comms-1198787?e=1f6b2c2f23

 

[longy 848]

On 8/3/2021 at 7:44 AM, EYESAILOR said:

In theory the AC should provide an incentive because ....in theory.....it offers a professional career in sailing post the Olympics.   However recent events have shown how unpredictable that career is and how hard it is to make a living as an athlete in the sport. 

There are only three sailors on a current AC boat, the rest are just portable muscle. Not much of a talent pool needed.

[Guest]

On 8/4/2021 at 9:10 AM, Santana20AE said:

Sailing in the United States of America pictured below.  Beneteau 60, or if one chooses a Catalina 545. (Not pictured) 

Nice boats, prices starting somewhere north of 7 figures.  

Just what a fellow needs to buy to introduce himself to sailing.  

The Europeans get folks going (not children, Adults!) in boats that are small, affordable and generally fun.  Easy to rig, maybe easy or maybe difficult to sail but either way a whole lot of fun.  The olympics are sailed in boats that are small, affordable and usually a bit difficult to sail, but one to two sailors are all that are required, not the 24 or so a Maxi requires.  

Now, the simple question.  You can put 24 people on a one super yacht or 2 people in 12, 2 person dinghies.  Which develops better sailors?  Which develops men and women who have a better chance to win medals in Olympic Games sailed in dinghies. 

Yes, more money can be made building one boat larger than 60 feet than building 3 boats that are 20 feet or 5 boats that are 12 feet.  Want more sailors winning, get more sailors involved in the boats that are being raced in the olympics.  It has to be done at the club level.

One more thought, go big or go home.  Not what you think it says.  Build a huge base, build it with small, cheap and fun. OR, Put all you efforts into the very small, groupes of elite sailors (or cyclists, or water skiers, or Marksman, or any other number of sports who aspire to get into the Olympics or maintain thier elite athletes inthe olympics) and your sport will die a quick and miserable and expensive death.  As Randy Poush said, “when you get the Basics down the complicated stuff gets easy. “. Paraphrased, when you get the base going, the elites will appear in droves and keep on appearing  

 

 

 

America, a nation of temporarily embarrassed millionaires  

[AVALANINIA 5]

On 8/3/2021 at 4:44 AM, NZL32 said:

With the Olympics nearly finished it's interesting to see who the powerhouse of world sailing is... And who have fallen down the ranks.

The British have the best team.

The European continent are best...

And the kiwis and Americans have fallen to the bottom.

Maybe dominating the AC ruins your sailing base?

...

NZ still at top with GB....Aussies very good....USA sucks...could not win a single race in Olympics or Americas Cup.....maybe try finding some new talent from Americas vast gene pool instead of rich kids

[Gorn FRANTIC!! 502]

On 8/4/2021 at 3:47 AM, NZL32 said:

In NZ the official sailing management/governance is run by Sailing NZ.

Thief main funding comes from Sport NZ and is for Olympic medal s to be won. 

 This Sailing NZ forgets about clubs and building a base of many sailors and focuses on rich elite sailor to go overseas and qualify the classes for Olympic participation .... Therefore resulting in low participation at the grass roots level and a small bunch of elite doing the heavy lifting.

 

Clubs are down in numbers which means less numbers in means less numbers to rise to the top.

Hmmmmmmmm sounds as if they looked across the Tasman Sea and decided to steal the Australian Sailing model.

[Navig8tor 1,762]

46 minutes ago, Gorn FRANTIC!! said:

Hmmmmmmmm sounds as if they looked across the Tasman Sea and decided to steal the Australian Sailing model.

Bloody Aussies,  probably the other way round, I mean where did mother England export its thieves?

Don't get me started on Pavlova, Phar Lap, Lolly cake, Flat whites, Russell Crowe and who can forget following 2012's dismal medal haul claiming the kiwis medals under Aus Zealand! Honestly?

[AnotherSailor 449]

It is a bit of a stretch to identify "the best sailing nation" based on the numbers of olympic sailing medals. This is also a lot about organization, training programs, and funding made available to the sport. Nevertheless, sailing nations do indeed fund those programs and the success of a small country like the Netherlands is telling. 

[The Q 787]

It's also about how much water is part of the life of the nation.. New Zealand, UK, Netherlands the furthest you can get from the sea is about 70 miles.. Then add in all the lakes and waterways and it's not much more than 20miles..

The most common sailing / racing in the UK is Dinghies, if you go to the coast it's 20-30ft cabin yachts sailed by a few friends or a couple . Locally and in many places round the country, it's open keelboats in the 20ft to 25ft range, (no vestigial cabin like a sports boat) we must have 50+ of them at my club, plus slightly more than that in Dinghies.