Ruthless ethos applied to boating

There were 128 kids entered in the 2025 Optimist US Team Race Nationals, many representing high profile “travel ball” teams led by prominent foreign coaches. It all seemed like a bit much, but that’s youth sports in the USA.

Coincidentally, the same edition of the Scuttlebutt newsletter included a report by Chris Caswell, originally published in 2018, in which he described youth sailing as “a world populated by helicopter parents and a sailing lifestyle best described as a ‘trophy culture’.” Like most everything, this has only escalated.

British yachting journalist Adrian Morgan wonders about the end game, particularly when there are dominant Olympic countries that are not emphasizing youth competition:

“If this soulless, joyless method sailing is not producing Olympic medalists or offshore sailors, instead encouraging kids to abandon sailing as fast as they can, why persist?

“Is it the parental bragging rights of a fancy RIB, or best dressed child, or most expensive professional coach? Is it perhaps pressure from coaches themselves? Whatever, it is not a method universally seen in Europe, and more akin to that adopted by the old Soviet Union.

“Or is it that America, whose genius is based on competition, combat, and hard work, cannot help but apply a ruthless ethos that produces world-dominating technologies to the gentle pastime of simply messing about in boats?

“Whatever. Quite clearly, this is not producing world-dominating sailors in the USA.”