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  1. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    Sometime around 05-07 the local Lightning fleet was having a bit of an identity crisis where members were getting older and there were no younger sailors coming into the fleet. One of the local club/class leaders suggested targeting girls in junior sailing to join the fleet (helped he had 4...
  2. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    Rambler, when I’m on better WiFi and can send you a PM, I need to get your email. We don’t have much experience with skiffs, but 3 of us picked up old cheap 49er FXs (mine hasn’t been updated since the 2016 cycle I think) are are going to try to give it a shot. I have no clue what we are...
  3. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    I’m breaking up my thoughts here. Money is an issue, but part of the reason we are stuck in this rut of keeping kids in 50+ year old designs is no one is buying the new boats. The families who buy new boats keep buying new Lasers and 420s so there are boats for not as well off families to buy...
  4. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    2022 Moth worlds was in a location that was not easy to get to and the participation showed that. Women and junior racers was way down. Participation in general was down. The fleet in Weymouth is already capped at 150 boats and a lot more women and juniors are signed up. Foiling boats prior...
  5. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    What is the total cost of an Olympic quality Laser at home plus charter fees for Lasers at all away/travel events? Or are Laser sailors shipping boats all over the world? I know they don’t. How does that compare to owning 1 Moth/Waszp and shipping your boat places? Looks like it’s about...
  6. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    I It’s hard to quantify how far sailing has fallen in the US unless you walk around and look at pictures of docks and mooring fields at marinas and yacht clubs from the 1960/70s and today. Small Boat Harbor (500ish slips) is a marina in Buffalo, NY, USA on Lake Erie, and pictures from the...
  7. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    I tried to lurk but wanted to add in cycling is a really bad example here because it’s so body composition dependent. Yes, you can train for VO2max, but everyone’s body has a limit for what we can achieve. Lance Armstrong, no matter your feelings on cycling when we won 6 Tours (personally I...
  8. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    You beat me to this. I think the idea that density of population compared to olympic medals in sailing is a bit skewed. What % of Aussies and Kiwis live with in 5 miles of water with access to sailing. From what I know of Australia, and I’ve only been down there once to drop off Subarus...
  9. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    China also has 3x as many people to choose from and kids with prowess in different things, science, math, history, athletics, etc, are identified at a young age and groomed for that activity. Sort of like the old USSR system possibly? That type of system wouldn’t translate to the US, or any...
  10. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    Outside of the US you may be correct, but in the US we are seeing way too many kids stop sailing before they get to Lasers because they hate how the Opti and 420 programs run. Be it over coaching, pressure from parents, or just boring sailing (I know we disagree on light air sailing, not trying...
  11. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    I believe it is intentional to not be part of WS.
  12. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    I think I figured out one spot we aren’t communicating on. I’m saying the Waszp and Moth should be the next step after the Laser. It’s great to have 800 youth and 8000 oldies out racing, but what’s next? Or is the Laser the pinnacle we all stop at. The Waszp is going in the right direction...
  13. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    One of the things I like the best about the Moth class is the lack of coaching, and the debriefing as a crew after sailing. Why do clubs need new coaches? Sail trim is sail trim. Yeah, everything is a bit faster when foiling, but it’s still sailing, not rocket science. I finally got the WiFi...
  14. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    It’s not worth arguing with you any more. We won’t agree.
  15. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    If I’ll keep this simple, if you are correct, why can’t in 5 pages can no one figure out who is trying to represent the US Class at the next Olympics in the Laser/ILCA? You are correct on point 5.
  16. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    How many hundreds of articles do you want to read on parents fucking up kids sports? Google it up. Sailing parents are cream puffs compared to a lot of sports and activities. The Laser is to blame? Please… The Laser isn’t to blame. The kids aren’t to blame. It’s the parents, and why we lose...
  17. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    For all your research, you should make some calls about how many Waszp are being sold each year. You are off by at least a factor of 3. Yes Lasers out sold anything these days in their first 5 years because they were literally the only game in town. They, from my understanding, thee first...
  18. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    We have a growing ILCA/Laser fleet in Buffalo, NY, and as much as I don’t want to, it is. So I’ve been shopping for boats. A 20 year old used boat is $4-5k (prove me wrong cause I need a boat) and needs $1-2k in upgrades/sails. A base new ILCA with no covers, non-race (OG) control lines, no...
  19. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    Laser is more popular than the Moth (foiling version) and Waszp class because it got a 40 year head start as a class. Lasers are fun, but putting the assumed best sailors in the world in a 54 year old boat is cruel. Kids, who the target audience to grow any sport, don’t look at a Laser and say...
  20. M

    US ILCA 7 representative for Paris 2024

    Maybe Senior Cayard can steer that ship in a different direction? Maybe? Laser needs to die for the Waszp or Moth. Make Olympic sailing fun.



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