Tahzjay

by John Curnow, Editor, Sail-World AUS on 14 Aug 2017 Last week we began the discussion about where to from here. You can read Red Circle Boutique and re-familiarise yourself with all of that at any stage. In flowing on, today’s headline plays on the outfit’s other colloquial name. Target with a very, very soft ‘g’, silent ‘t’, and oh-so-French accent.

As a very brief re-cap, we are talking about strategic direction, for the picture will be very different in five to ten years time. Possibly even more so that the five to ten preceding them, especially given the rate of change in the world. And so it will be even more crucial to have things set up correctly, for the people will be different, with far fewer having been lifetime sailors. They need to be welcomed in classic sense, but also inspired to tell others, so that the overall sustainability is worn across the broadest possible base. Any fracas will be enough to have them depart permanently, and worse, ensure others do not venture into the malaise.

And so on that very point, the relationship between the constituents, if you will, and the peak body does need to be both clear and harmonious. Presently, there is a genuine disconnect between the ultimate level of the sport, and the rank and file. That is not to say that the Australian Sailing Team have done anything other than excel. They have been, and continue to be, totally brilliant. Just look to the 49ers currently racing in Europe to see how well all the ‘new’ blood is doing. Well done to you all, and you smile and are gracious and humble, so cheers to you.

Of course, events like the America’s Cup and the mighty Volvo Ocean Race have had more than a smattering of Aussies involved since we last proffered a team ourselves in the AC, and News Corp was essential a Kiwi team. Alas, in AC34 and certainly AC35, Team USA was in reality Team AUS!

Now here is the point. AUS Sailing collects something in the order of 70% of its funding through grants, most notably the Australian Sports Commission. Of course the USA and UK now have Aussies driving their efforts, so it will be more than interesting to see the outcomes they achieve, but it takes nothing away from the fact that if you look at it like a business, that 70% is being deployed to something like 1% of the people.

Given that is its purpose it is hard to argue with, but when maybe one dozen of the clubs around the land supply the vast bulk of the remaining 30%, and effectively become the very foundations on which the scenario is built in a volume, and not dollar sense, then the core issue becomes how much do they, the worker bees, really care? What do they see? Got something to add? Please email us

Moving right on and the news out is that there are major issues with the Nacra17. Stories had been circulating about the foiling versions being slower than their low-rider cousins, and with foils full of water due to poor sealing, unsuitable engineering of the daggerboard cassettes, and ‘bad paint’ all being elements of the mix, well it is no wonder they have been taken off the shelf immediately. Seems there is definitely a case of ill-conceived notions by half-baked projects, and brought to you by shoestring productions. The saving grace would have to be that no one was injured in the process. Nacra management have been issued with a please explain, so we will see what transpires…

Back here in Oz, and there is no such case of missing out all together on implementing the seven Ps at SuperFoiler, by the way. We will have more on this wonderfully exciting programme very soon. So well done to Bill and Jack Macartney, along with the entire team working away tirelessly from their base at the Woollahra Sailing Club, and incorporating efforts in Melbourne, the NSW South Coast, as well as across the ditch. Makes you proud to be an Aussie. All of you please take a bow…

Talking of bows, and one for whom we all should really be doing it, is young Simon Hoffman. Some sensationalised your efforts as hampering your Olympic chances, yet failed to really stress that you will always be a hero when you display characteristics like you did. Walk tall, pal. You certainly deserve to.

Finally, and briefly, it was very sad to learn of the plight of Bumblebee V on Friday. It is an abject reminder to have competent and alert crewmembers on board. Many an expert has commented here on Sail-World that delivery crews should not be inside 2nm of anything. We do hope they can refloat her soon. You can see the pictures here.

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