Lets face it, Europeans have free time. Many work 60 hours a week and never take up hollidays but enjoy working and the status that comes with high flying job. But working so many hours is never a requirement overhere. Doing 40 or 35 hours a week is enough to support you lifestyle if you settle for a normal suburban lifestay with an economic Japanse car. Typically (by law) each working person has at minimum 25 days a year that he can take up a free time. Many have a little more between 30 and 40 days. Distances are short as well but I think something else is an important influence as well.

Culture

Sailing overhere is is also a social thing. You are a member of a sportclub. Many clubs has their own club houses, often with showers and such. Quite a few sailors some in for a chat just easily as for some sailing. But sailing is regarded as more refined than motor boating here. Men with alot of golden chains around their necks buy motorboats, but men with stature by sail boats. Sail boats nearly always regarded as the superior one in status to a motorboat. You really have to have a MF big and expensive motorboat before you win out over a guy with a 30 ft (sail) racer. I think Americans as a people are less guided by tradition and culture (derived from old notions of nobility) in this sense. Americans tend to be more of tinkers and like to get their hand greazy on machines and engines. Their national character seems to be more geared to survivor like challenges and contests. Often with alot of "oooomf" or "vroooom". In Europe you can't win yourself much appreciation with that. Overhere the way you perform a feat or handle a challenge seems to be important as well. If you sat out a drifter for many many hours and came out ahead makes your performance more respectable; simply because of the way it shows character. There is a reason why the french are driving forces behind circumnagivation attempts and races. Why so many singlehanded sailors are European. Doing a stunt like that and showing character will propel your status to the highest level. You can take your time, you can choose to fight another day there is no shame in that, actually these things can well enhance your standing. When the conditions get nuclear, Americans are regarded as people who drop a few curses and get into the thick of the fight. Europeans are regarded (expected) to take a step back and look at the situation and find an elegant solution to it. In oversimplified terms : Americans are boxers, Europeans are fencers.

So why all this culture babble. Well because sail boats suit the European psyche better and for Americans the believe is the other way around. Sailboats are the floret (fencing) of the watersports, while speedboats and powerboats are like grunt and masculinity of a boxer.

So yes, free time plays a big role, But so too does local organising (in sail clubs where sailors socialize) and European culture/tradition.

We must not forget that while Europeans and Americans do regard themself part of the western civilisation and can communicate with eachother and understand eachother very well, that there are still big differences in how both people look at things. Actually the differences are quite big and often run deep as well.

Of course tradition, local organisation and social-democractic governance systems have garanteed water access in most European places. For example. All of the Dutch coast line is owned by the state. And she will grant access to anybody who adheres to universal guidelines of proper usage and safety. Big Hotels may purchase property behind the first dune but they may not buy the beaches and first dunes. As a matter of fact, You can walk from the south to the north along the coastline and not trespass on private property. Money is not always King here and common good and societal needs are taken into consideration. both at the present and for may be in the future.

Such things do tend to make sailing more accessible and does make it easier to maintain a sport (life style) like sailing.

Wouter