Financial confidence brings sea change from siege mentality

Stuart Alexander on the `mini-boom' from top to bottom in British sailing

While the prospects increased this week for another major boost to the grand prix end of British yachting, there are increasing signs of good health at the grass roots. Yesterday, the Royal Yachting Association's racing supremo, Rod Carr, was able to say: "We feel pretty bullish, it's almost like a mini-boom."

He is looking forward to the appointment of a youth development officer, partly as a result of increased funding from the English Sports Council, and he hopes there will be similar moves in Wales and Scotland. "The job will entail auditing everything from tall ship sailing to dinghies, identifying new routes and partnerships, offering what is termed a `clear performance pathway', and then helping in the execution of new programmes."

Carr's all-round optimism, especially now that the increasing disenfranchisement of school age recruits will be reversed, is echoed by the experience of regatta organisers on the water. This week in Cowes the entry list for the Swan European Championships was over-subscribed and the maximum of 50 even relaxed by one to accommodate demand.

And at the end of this month the high-profile barometer of Skandia Life Cowes Week should be set fair with entries, already over 810, and expected to rise to 900, which nudges the capacity of Cowes.

In Pwllheli yesterday there were 115 starters for a revitalised Celtic Race Week. The Gwynedd Council has made sailing part of its regional development strategy and regatta chairman, Quinton Minoprio, is confident of both sporting and commercial success.

At opposite ends of the country the Rover Optimist National Championships could attract up to 250 youngsters to Largs, West Scotland, while, in the south, the first Hamble Week is under way.

There will be 200 boats competing this weekend in everything from dinghies to large cruiser-racers, with both the Sonata Class bolting on its southern area championship and the Six Metres holding their nationals.

The sea change of mood from siege mentality five years ago is summed up by the Hamble Regatta chairman, Tony Lovell: "We wouldn't have had a prayer five years ago. Then, racing was on the decline. Now the climate seems better all round and that has to be linked to financial confidence.

"But it is rubbing off on others. We have attracted a lot of people from scratch, been helped with many local sponsors led by MDL, and been lucky with the weather. It has also excited the two local councils, who want to support us next year. Timing has been very important and we seem to have struck lucky."