Does 'the problem' mentioned by Len Wingfield in the last DCA bulletin really exist? The DCA boat and safety recommendations are NOT rules and regulations; they are, quite simply, recommendations and are as valid now as they were when first put forward. Any member who is concerned about any aspect of the safety of a boat and crew, after reading through the recommendations, may seek advice from the Technical Advisor, other members or other alternative sources and is free to act accordingly.

An association of people from all parts of the world, who enjoy messing about in small boats and are willing to pass on some of the knowledge gained to others, through the bulletin, has not, cannot and should not try to be a Yacht Club or Class Association. Dinghy Cruising has no place for the rules book or the measuring tape.

As for the 'skills' and 'understanding required', 'acquired in fail-safe situations' we do not offer a training scheme for dinghy cruising and cannot, therefore, insist on any level of experience being acquired by our members, nor should we do so, for this would set us off on the slippery downward slope towards some form of 'paper qualification' being required and these sort of boats are rarely in Wayfarers. The great 'growth area' of sailing at present is in board-sailing and single-handers and it's much more likely that potential dinghy cruisers will come from this background.

Whether they come from these areas or from weekend racing at local sailing clubs, one thing is certain, that the majority of them will have learnt their skills through the RYA system or 'method' which puts great emphasis on personal safety and group sailing and introduces dinghy cruising only at the end of the training programme. (There is another opportunity for discussion here which will probably fill these columns for ages.) The books these people are most likely to read are RYA logbooks and other similar training manuals, not dinghy cruising books. In fact, my experience of working on the DCA stand at the Cardiff and Crystal Palace dinghy exhibitions is that most dinghy sailors who take an interest seem to be quite surprised that anyone should have written anything about dinghy cruising!

Dinghy Cruising is one of the last great areas of 'go where you please', 'do as you like' personal freedom left to us; we should resist all attempts to regulate it, especially from within the DCA.

Anthony Sterckx