4 February 2003

Hi Andrew

I have thought long about it before I decided to comment on your statements about social sailing etc., but in the end decided that I will.

As you can see from my mail, my name is Wilhelm Herbst, the owner of the Miura Kinetics on the Vaal Dam and a member of Seal Point Yacht Club.

Some Background. I started sailing while being at the Military Academy in Saldanha. Once I left the Defense Force and moved to Gauteng, sailing sort of fell by the way for a while.

I got re-introduced into sailing at "Die Voortrekkers". Die Voortrekkers is an Afrikaans youth culture movement very similar to the Boys Scouts. Unlike the popular perception amongst a lot of uninformed people, it is not a bunch of right wing Afrikaners. The adults who get involved are not allowed to mention politics at all an the movement is open to all races, as long as they are Afrikaans. (Obviously that means that most, not all, members are white) I attended a camp where they taught secondary school kids to sail on mainly cats and normally a few dinghies. After the camp I bought my first HalCat. From there we went on and amongst me and my friends we bought another Halcat, a Phantom and a 505. Everything we know about sailing we learned from books, and we made up our own Afrikaans terminology for the parts of a yacht/cat.

This eventually evolved in us buying, amongst us, a Mistral, then a Debonair and finally I bought the Miura and another friend of mine bought a Spirit. It is worth mentioning that the Mistral was in a terrible state when we bought it and it took us two years to restore it. (Once again learning from books how to do it).

About two years ago we joined Seal Point Yacht club to be club members for the first time. This is also when we started taking part in regattas for the first time, and enjoying it thoroughly (learning from books again).

What did we do in the mean time with all the boats?

In the last 4 years we have trained at least 100 adults how to sail and a few hundred kids. We have a camp every year in the October holidays, on which grade 10 and grade 11 kids can enroll to do a weeks sail training. Twice a year (in February and August) we train adults to sail over a weekend. The costs for this, including everything (training, accommodation, meals and training material) is normally about R300 for the kids for the week and R200 for the adults for the weekend. (By the way we have a training course for adults this coming weekend.) Although this is organized primarily for Voortrekker adults, we take anyone, as long as they realize that the essence of the training will be done in Afrikaans.

So why do I tell you all of this?

Firstly, I can not help to still have a perception that sailing is seen as a sport for the rich English speaking. As soon as I started getting involved with racing and Seal Point Yacht Club, I realized everyone is not English, and it is definitely not only for the rich, but it is still the perception.

Secondly there is definitely a perception that the size of your yacht determine your pecking order in this environment.

Most of the yacht clubs I have seen, is most definitely not very keen on welcoming strangers. You have to be introduced by a member and can not get onto the grounds if someone did not invite you. (How on earth do you get introduced by a member if you do not know anyone of them?)

I would like to mention here that Dick and Kathy Manten are doing a lot for sailing with their friendly and open attitude. From the first day I became a member there, they made me feel part of the family.

By the way, most of the sailors I have met along the road are very nice people, but you first have to get in to realize that.

The thing which bothers me a lot, is all the people we are losing for the sailing community after we have trained them. Of all the people we have trained, I would imagine only 1% have actually carried on with sailing as a sport. Although I am saying this, I am not sure what can be done about it. I agree 100% with you that there should be more events like the RTIR, but we should also do something to introduce the new comers without boats to the sport. Maybe a Regatta where you are only allowed one club member on your yacht or something like that.

I enjoy your news letter although it is very focused on Natal. Keep up the good work.

Wilhelm Herbst