to return couples to racing -
However, there is a lot of resistance (tom) now to the notion that a "racing" boat can be a "fun" boat.
Everything is a compromise...if you want to get more participation in the sport, you have to offer something for more than guys to crew on. We need boats that focus on endurance and skill as much as raw strengh. Tom - lot's of women sail dinghies. But speed, ability to multi-task, and endurance (especially hiking) are more important there than the ability to sheet a huge main for the skipper upwind and a huge chute downwind.
Personally, I don't want to belong to a "boys club."
I think it's pathetic how few women are sailing cats now. Almost all of the female crew I see at regattas are women who have been crewing for years. where's the new blood?

WOMEN ARE INTERESTED IN SAILING JUST AS MUCH AS MEN.

Reality check - I just finished teaching a basic sailing course at a local university - more women than men. When I sailed in college, guess what - almost 50/50 on our team.
Hmm...does the problem lie with "women just don't want to sail," with "women are just wimps and can't cut it" or with "us?"
Let's own up to the reality of the situation. If we (the majority right now) don't want any more women in the sport, fine. If we do, then we need to make changes. Tom, I think your vote's already been counted
Michael Coffman
t4.9 #32
p.s. - tom, I really understand your frustration with "some women," but I've had just as many "bad" male crew as "bad" female crew. And the best crew I've ever had (I don't count my friend Bobby, since he's actually a skipper who crews once a year with me) was a woman. You sound like you really need an a-class so you don't have to have crew