Through the medium of your excellent web page I would like to comment on the current status of Club's in KwaZulu Natal as relates to the future of our sport.

No doubt one would have seen the email NOR from the newly formed Nomads group? I think the fact that these yachties have actually taken the step to form such a Club is indicative of the state of sailing in KwaZulu Natal today, as relates to politics, rivalries and egos.

I know the frustration behind their decision, I experience it all too often in my dealings with sailing organisations. I also believe that whilst we can understand their frustration, such a move may prove detrimental to sailing in the long run. And this is not the talk of a club official who is simply clinging to his little "power base".

My reasons are straightforward, and are not meant as critisism of the guys behind the Nomads scene (they at least are trying to get bums on boats).

1. In any sporting code, a stable "base" is needed from which to grow the sport. Traditional yacht clubs can provide this (although obviously not at present).

2. If associations such as Nomads, find popularity with the vast majority of sailors who are sick and tired of politics and egos, there will be a thinning out of active sailors at traditional Club level, which shall leave the bureaucrats and essentially the non-active members behind, to manage what is left. That spells disaster, in my mind. Structures and infrastructures put into place over decades by committed sailors may be lost.

3. When major regattas need to be hosted, Clubs will have insufficient expertise to undertake the job - and in fact this is already happening! The sailors who may decide to go the Nomad route will invariably want to participate in a Provincial or National Regatta of some nature, one day, and they may indeed find themselves having to recreate the structures and infrastructures required - reinventing the wheel.

I would advocate a more constructive approach to their frustration. Guys, Club's need people like YOU. If you are prepared to put your hands up and run your own set-up such as Nomads, why not do the same but in the traditional Club context? If I may I shall use my own club as an example. Henley Midmar Yacht Club, 5 years ago, was not a happy place to be at. There were the "haves and the have-nots". The "them and Us", brigade. Politics was so rife there was a veranda "committee", which was against anything the Club Committee did... it splintered the membership into two factions making the club impossible to run efficiently. Over the past few years, a core of committed members have rescued the situation by simply taking over the management of the club, and in fact placed it's day to day operation and policy making back in the hands of the members... all the members. As a result, of our whole committee only one member has more than 5 years experience in sailing... never mind club committee experience! However, we do have the likes of George Duffin who stands in the background, and who we have learnt over the years to listen to intently. George really does have sailing at heart and has proven to be a very wise man in his retirement. We also have people like Reg Beavitt, who when one gets past all the bluster, has a heart of gold and who will go to the ends of this earth in the interests of sailing. I believe that we are all human and we will make mistakes, the strength of our committee is that we own up to our mistakes and address them. Egos, if they do become over inflated, are soon popped and reality and normality quickly returns.

Now, if we had ethusiastic people such as the guys and gals behind the Nomads scene, this running our clubs, the second objective would be to get the respective Class Associations to "fall in". No disrespect intended here guys, but the lines of communication simply have to be opened up between Classes and Host Clubs when it comes to Regattas. It has taken a while for HMYC's committee to prioritise eactly what Classes need from a host club, and we think we are pretty close to our goal in this regard. I have no doubt that the Clubs are as much to blame as the classes in this. Also, there is only so much a Club can do, but with good communication I believe the conflict that sometimes exists between what it is that Classes want and what Clubs end up giving.. will end. The result is a win-win situation where the Clubs are really happy to host regatta's and where Classes suddenly have a wide choice of venues which is good for their Class Associations in terms of getting exposure and growth. Some Classes are very professional whilst others sit and wait for things to happen. (much like clubs I suppose).

I am not saying there is not a place for associations such as Nomads, if these guys use it as vehicle for getting fun back into sailing, and bums into boats. What I am saying is that we need people like this to run our clubs, who will cut across the internal politics, clean the slate, and be progressive in their thinking. Power to the people!

Dave Claxton