Sailing Research

[aimee0742]

Hi there,

My name is Aimee Corcoran. I am studying Product Design in D.I.T and I’m currently researching for my thesis. I am looking into the Psychological Fears within Sailing.

Many beginners have numerous fears while learning to sail which involve the fear of heeling and the fear of damaging the boat. These fears are usually more persistent in heavier weather conditions. I am conducting a questionnaire to backup my findings. Would it be possible for you to fill out the anonymous survey in the link below? It will take less than 10 minutes and most of the questions are tick the box…


The Psychological Fears Within Sailing

This is a continuous problem which is usually overcome by experience. I want to make the early stages of sailing as comfortable and stress free as possible before novices pull out. There are over 80 clubs and schools which provide sailing programs to beginners each year, most providing over two courses a year to beginners.

This shows that there is a high interest in sailing but as the experience progresses and advances, the number of students decrease due to more advanced techniques and more extreme weather conditions. This shows that there is a strong prospect for a new promising product opportunity. I would greatly appreciate your time and effort if you were to fill out this survey.

Kind Regards

Aimee Corcoran

[jackdale]

Aimee

I tried to complete the survey. I have never owned a boat, but your survey will not let me finish without answering that question. Also when I started, I had no fears.

[PCP]

You only fear what you don't know and what you were not trained to do properly. With knowledge and training sailors are always discovering new limits and what was scary some years back is now routine.

People give up, because everything well made in live gives work and demands effort. While sailing in bad weather you have no choice, you have to do things right and many will never have the patience or the will to have a long learning.

It is normal and healthy to have fear of something you don't know how to do properly and that can be dangerous, if not done the right way.

Regards

Paulo

[aimee0742]

Jackdale, I appreciate the effort for trying to complete the survey, that question is a mistake on my behalf unfortunately!

Paulo, I also appreciate the comment!! I agree with you that you fear what you don't know and that it's normal to have a fear. I just need some information to back up my thoughts, and the more the better!!

Cheers!

[QuickMick]

i took it for you, but my guess is for the 'fear factor' on this forum you will get mostly negative responses from this motley crew...

i would be interested to see your results once compiled... good luck

[tommays]

I will say i no longer do things i thought nothing of 25 years ago like set a spinaker in 25 knots on a J24 to see if we could get it to plane

Now i think its more because i realize i was pretty lucky nobody ever poked and eye out during the crashes of such stunts

[QuickMick]

lol tommays... now youve stuck that scence from 'a christmas story' stuck in my head... you know youre gonna shoot your eye out, youre gonna shoot your eye out

[St Anna]

Hey Aimee,
The difference between real danger and percieved, and the balance between rationale and irrational reactions to such perceptions could be something to look at.