I would like to follow up on a thread that seemed to hit a chord. Can the class provide some form of creche during silver tiller events? I am sure that others, like ourselves, would willingly contribute something to have someone look after our little one whilst Mummy & Daddy are out sailing.

I appreciate that there is a different culture now to when I grew up and these things have to be done properly, with insurance, but it would not beyond the whit of man to contact a few national childminding agencies and see what costs & availability is. How many potential little ones are there in the fleet?

Comments?

Get a nanny or another crew.

Thanks for the wonderful suggestion, crew = wife = not likely to change either. Simple solution, we will not travel to events, rather a shame especially as there the class was founded to provide competitive racing for a husband & wife team.

Rather like the idea of the au pair ... ;-)

I don't think that was its reason and if so why hasn't one won the Championships?

Mike and Jane Calvert won at Whitstable in 2002 ;)

I think it's a good idea Andy.  When you've got children to care for a creche would take alot of the presure out of going to events. Would'nt it be a good thing to encourage young sailors.

I'm in two minds about this....whilst I would love to be able to leave my kids somewhere and go off sailing, there is also the fact that (after a week of work) I would like to see my kids and play with them, not go off!

Either way, I would need a creche for wifey as she hates sailing. Can you spend the class funds on a hairdresser with mobile salon...or can Tony from SailSport bring along a full selection of Animal / Rip Curl / No Fear clothing for her to browse?

More a Grandfather these days about the only thing my wives and I agreed (Though the first did try, even won the Silver Tller as my crew one year.) on was the position as outlined by Mags. I cannot help thinking that it is part of having children to spend time with them. I wish I had done more of it. As Omar Khayam put it - I paraphrase - you cannot go back. So as in so much else I agree with Mags, if you cannot afford keepers etc., for the little darlings. As to encouraging them to sail I can think of nothing more calculated to put them off than shivering at an apoen meeting at a sailing club. Of course at ones own club with Oppies and Cadets etc., that's different.

i suspect the killer issue will the legal aspects and insurance.  I dont think this could be done as an official MROA venture.

Maybe a teacher could advise?

Of course the best option by far would be to run Cadet and Merlin opens at the same venue, and have my kids racing on the same days! But since they are only 5 years old I may have to wait a while....

Or as many of have done, sail boats that are appropriate for the kids to join in with at their various ages, Merlins are appropriate for kids from around 12 as crews (except River clubs then the age is about 3 and a half) and about 15 as helms.

Mags - from your earlier posting do I take it thet the Pony phase is over and they are thinking rationally already.  You are to be congratulated for bringing up your kids in the correct fashion!!  I am sure that you will be in line for Merlin "Father of the Year" Award!!!

I fear not - we havent reached the pony phase yet....its drama club for one, and gymnastics for the other so far. Oh, and they do ballet too.

There are definate signs of interest, they enjoy getting in the boat when its on the driveway....not sure if they would be the same about the water!

I spent time with the children got my son and daughter hooked on sailing. The optimists were bought and the children went off to race. The Merlin was not sailed, so sold. Now my weekends are spent taking the little ones to Optimist opens. It was like a whirlpool I just got sucked in! Get a creche organised before this fate happens to others..

Or an oppi open alongside the Merlin ones!

Not all those pushy parents anyway todays Oppie SAilors get their parents to rig their boats and put them in the water and then unrig and pack up sp the parents wouldn't get any sailing anyway.

It's a good idea and could be self funding, just needs organisational help. I'm glad my two are too old for creches etc. They hate sailing just because it's my thing and I came to it too late to bring them up on Oppies etc.
It isn't the Oppie sailors getting their parents to rig, it's the parents insisting on doing it for them because they can't do it properly (as they are never allowed to learn by their mistakes!!) 
I heard about one junior meeting where they brought competitors and boats into an enclosure and locked parents out until racing and protest time was over and they had a great event with no protests, instead of the usual pushy demanding parents filling in protest forms before competitors are even ashore!

Older parent has just described the Danish Junior Sailing Model, they take it further with their own clubhouses and committees' looslely overseen by non parent grownups, and coaches on request rather than foreced. They do seem to have a better retention percentage of juniors through to adults but then 4.5 million as against the GBR 70 million and easier access to coast lines and lakes, plus after school clubs and a safer environment altogether do make it all easier. For a small nation they do rather well at sailing, export a lot of sailors and have a lot of fun too. Something (Fun.) H.M.G., doesn't seem to want to promote, although Brits seem to  have some fun without Government help!
Last summer I went to Itchenor for a drink and was encouraged to see a mother refusing to physically help her son and daughter launch their Mirror, so its not all bad by anymeans.