Securing the future of sailing

Craig Brown wrote SURE-40 years of Sailing in which he shares his immersion in the sport, from novice to successful competitor and contributor. He loves sailing, but also worries about its future in this commentary:

Nearly 20 years ago, US Sailing was re-configured from a Board of 54 individuals representing all different aspects of the sailing community to a Board of 12 to be “more efficient” and effective at fielding Olympic sail teams. The thought was that concentrating on the Olympic Program and throwing more money at the development of elite sailors would create a reward of more Olympic Medals. As Morgan and others have painfully commented—that failed.

The other thought was to put high-profile individuals on the Board to attract more interest in Sailing, thereby reaping greater financial followings. That has also failed. If one looks at who is willing to be a Mariner, they are by definition a group of individuals that are willing to leave their terrestrial abode and venture into an alien world for the adventure of it. One must accept that there are a limited number of those of sufficient character to pursue this course.

In this reduction, to create more efficiency, the vast majority of mariners were forgotten. I happened to be part of the “Big Boat contingent”, who took their toys, went off to their own nautical playground with our basketballs (big boats), and let the little boys and girls play with their marbles.

The beauty of a mariner’s adventure is multi-fold, but let me name a few: To enjoy the exquisite beauty of being on the water, two miles from a city of 10 million—ALONE. The camaraderie of fellow adventurers at the end of an arduous sail. Sharing a tale of adventure with family and friends, knowing that they may never fully appreciate the enjoyment that you derived from that activity. These are individual pleasures—poorly shared with those that have never experienced them. It is not a sport that can be “spectator-ized” or even mass-marketed.

I urge the powers that be to seriously look to three steps that should be considered in restoring some rational thought to the administration of US Sailing.
A) Restore an inclusion of all forms of sailing to the gunk holler to the elite sailor on a Maxi——this is a difficult step.
B) Recognize that this will never be a spectator or mass marketed sport—a waste of time, money, and energy in my opinion.
C) Re-establish a greater level of comradeship in the Mariner world—the step to the ultimate goal of survival and growth.

On the local level, ALL yacht club (or sailing club) members owning boats need to take out and mentor junior members. Not just once, but with the young junior’s family. Every Mariner owning a boat has a REASON they are out there—share that reason, exhibit why that adventure harkens to your heart.

That sharing will impart the benefit of being a Mariner to a new generation and their family. Some will reject, but overall, we can try to breed a sense of why we exist and then can pass to a new generation that belief in the benefits of that adventure.

We may not initially bring back the glory days everyone likes to harken to, but we will have passed a torch to someone that may then take the next step to assault a greater level of competition or strive to be an Olympian. One needs a love of the sea, before one can take that step. Without it, you are only competing with marbles.

We have to recognize that we are a dying breed that will be on the front line of Climate Change that will assault all our possessions: boats, clubs, and facilities. We NEED a new generation that has the courage to salvage the benefits of the Mariner world over numerous obstacles that we face. They will need to desire that underlying drive or we will be swept away by forces far beyond our present misdirected and splintered, selfish pursuits.

Craig Brown
Ex-member of US Sailing (1979-2023)