Speaking to Binny who speaks to other women windsurfers, and the idea has been floated of an all womens team, representing all states of Australia, that one day could compete against future womens teams from around the world.

Most women who are involved in the GTC seem to love it, love being part of a team, but feel they dont often make a contribution to the team, and would like a womens team where they may make a contribution in one category of one session in one month in one year!

So whaddyareckon Ladies, do you want a team of your own?

lao shi said...

Keep yer hands orf our wimmin![}:)]

lao shi said...
Or have a female team ranking. I am sure Nebbs could do that in a flash
Then there could be competition between the women's divisions of the Aussie teams. Perhaps a future alternative.

Most mens teams only have one or two ladies on them, so it's hard to get a team ranking where only the ladies scores are counted.

Hmmmm... I suppose we could have virtual teams, so someone could still be a member of a 'normal' team as well as a virtual 'ladies only' team. Might get a bit confusing though, "Which team are you in" "Ummm well I'm a Pinna, but also a member of the Sandgroping Women team"...

The other alternative is to create a national team just for women.

Paul Kelf said...

Hey Cheryl, it's not just the women that feel that way, maybe I should be in a girl's team

I am competing against myself as I'm so far behind the other guys & I can't even beat myself lately

I know what you mean Paul, my score very rarely actually counts in the DAY, but I dont think ones ever been in the monthly final score.

But you can always aim at improving your PB's which is what its all really about and that is satisfying enough for me.

I want a team for left handers born in 1959 - maybe my scores will count then

But I have no objection to an all womens comp / team.

I suppose it does bring up the idea of something like golf handicaps. That way the person with PB's (better than their handicap) would be contributing more than the person with huge scores. Perhaps that could be the "alternative" view of the comp so it all stays as is for the real comp but there is the option to view the handicap one instead (more work for Nebs).

The handicap could be something like the average of your best three previous scores plus some constant so we get positive numbers (they look better).

so for me my best three 2 secs have average of 32.3 so if I sail 27.8 (Saturday at Hardys) then my score could be 27.8 - 32.3 + 20 = 15.4

But a fast sailor who's best three 2 sec average is 40.8 and who sailed 28.8 on Saturday would get a handicaped score of 28.8 - 40.48 + 20 = 8.32

I dont know how golf handicaps are calculated but they are a pretty succesful system so it may be worth copying that. Perhaps averaging ALL your scores in the last 12 months would be fairer to reduce the effect of one of excellent days.

Dont get me wrong, I have no problems with the way things are now but if we want to make more people feel they are contributing to the team this might be a way of achieving that.

My 2 cents worth.

My sense of it is that there may be a "Womens Business" thing about it, just women bonding in a women's team?

For me to be be part of a woman's team, would mean that I could make a contibution to the team, by backing up others etc, and this would give me the motvation to go sailing. i find that too easily work or family take priority, but being part of a team where my contribution counted may sway me to do for myself rather than for others.

I've only just joined the GPS challenge and I'm not yet sure of how it all works, but Ladies' scores being generally too low to contribute to the team score is somewhat discouraging. Sure the GPS challenge is to improve oneself, but you can do that without being part of a team at all. The concept is to encourage people to sail together. The current set up does little to encourage the guys to coordinate sailing with a female team member.

There does need to be a separate ladies table at least. As there are so few women in each team the two sailing in one session would be difficult to achieve very often. Maybe the two per session rule could be suspended for ladies until numbers are sufficient? Perhaps that's where a state or national women's team would be more practical - just to get a team with sufficient numbers to maximise the chance of getting a score at all. Compete against women in the other states and countries...
Women are unlikely to rank higher than last against the guys very often, so we need other women's teams we can really compete against.

(What am I talking about? I'm dreaming. I'm just a beginner. It will be ages before I am really competitive, if ever, but it would be nice to know there is a chance of it at least. It's nice to dream. Against the guys?... no chance at all.)

Oh, and this is nothing about "secret women's business and female bonding". Socially I'd rather be in a team of guys any day!

We don't want to leave the teams we are a part of, but dual membership of our own team plus a state women's team would be good. Certainly warrants more discussion and brainstorming.

and Nebbian, I don't think "Sandgroping women" is a suitable team name!

I like being part of a mixed team. It is one of the few sports where ladies results can be compared to mens. Today two of my division scores counted toward the team results.
We already have a ladies table of results for pb's for the year and all time pb's.
Are there any international womens teams?
I would be for a virtual team if there was one as long as I could stay in my current team. Helga Sunshine Coast Vikings

nebbian said...
[>>>>>>
Hmmmm... I suppose we could have virtual teams, so someone could still be a member of a 'normal' team as well as a virtual 'ladies only' team. Might get a bit confusing though, "Which team are you in" "Ummm well I'm a Pinna, but also a member of the Sandgroping Women team"...

I think one virtual team per state could work, that would keep it fairly simple, and enable interstate and international competition.

Choosing a virtual captain may present a problem but.

Only WA and Queensland have more than one females participating in the GTC. Is the purpose of this proposal to get more females involved in the challenge?

I think this is a good idea except
I am not sure about this, as a few blokes in our team use Annika as a benchmark
And Cheryl gives us a whomping too
I think Cheryl and Annika have both contributed to month end scores in our team

Hi All
Yes I agree with Sharon. We are the only all girls team and rarely post these days. I doubt that Jo will be doing much this year due to her RSX training for the Youth Worlds. She has lost interest and has bigger fish to fry.

However I'm still keen but must admit to not even wearing my GPS since we are usually unlikely to get a team result. I've been thinking for a while that we need to consider the team's future. But not keen to get absorbed into one of the large all male Bris teams.

So I'm all for an Aus team with Sharon and Binny.

ps wore it yesterday and will post soon, Sharon

Bugger, I couldn't sail yesterday as I had family committments at Movie World - will be sailing today. This is why being part of a larger team works.

1) Don't take me out of my team. One of the best things about our team is that we sail together most of the time. A national team might compete together, but it won't sail together on the same patch of water.

2) If I wanted to be on a women only team, I could have joined one.

3) A "virtual" national team might be a good idea - if any other countries get on board. Otherwise I'm not sure how much I would benefit from it. As a promotional idea for gpstc it might be good.

4) Sounds like you men want to fix it for us. Typical!

ka72 said...

4) Sounds like you men want to fix it for us. Typical!

You left one out Mr Hardie
.............but she wasn't talking about you!

All valid points, but we must K.I.S.S.
The GPSTC is working, VERY successfully. Just look at the hits & also international interest.

There are various state speed tables posted using the data, so why not have various state/team handicap tables - separate from GPSTC, but using the posted data.

If, over a trial period, that can be seen to work as an acceptable option, then look at incorporating into GPSTC site later - when we are paying a contribution fee. (personal opinion)

Hardie & Nebs (plus all contributors) have done a superb job getting to this level - lets not over complicate it but utilise the resources created.

ka72 said...

1) Don't take me out of my team. One of the best things about our team is that we sail together most of the time. A national team might compete together, but it won't sail together on the same patch of water.

2) If I wanted to be on a women only team, I could have joined one.

3) A "virtual" national team might be a good idea - if any other countries get on board. Otherwise I'm not sure how much I would benefit from it. As a promotional idea for gpstc it might be good.

4) Sounds like you men want to fix it for us. Typical!

Well said Kelly. All this and sailing with the guys today has got me thinking about switching teams - my distance would have contributed to MBM today....

I still think a "virtual" ladies team would be cool. It wouldn't worry me if it didn't happen as I love the GPCTC as it is.