SMODwatch from Racing Classes Review

Originally posted by JimC  ... there isn't the sense of slow despair that lingers around a dying class.

Originally posted by JimC *If* I remember correctly what kicked me off was a whole lot of propaganda from certain SMOD enthusiasts that the SMOD model was the future of racing classes, and then looking at the stats and seeing the data didn't support the theory... As that's now pretty much obvious to anyone after nearly all the late 90s SMOD classes have descended to Davy Jones maybe the point of doing it has gone..

Originally posted by MikeBz I'm curious as to why Jim has chosen SMODWatch and not AllDinghyClassesWatch.

Because that was what I started with five years ago...

I keep a spreadsheet with some of the Class Stats. Seeing what's happening as refers to numbers makes some of the spin put on it by the associations rather amusing. However this is practised by everyone, and some of the worst offenders are not the SMOD classes.

*If* I remember correctly what kicked me off was a whole lot of propaganda from certain SMOD enthusiasts that the SMOD model was the future of racing classes, and then looking at the stats and seeing the data didn't support the theory...

As that's now pretty much obvious to anyone after nearly all the late 90s SMOD classes have descended to Davy Jones maybe the point of doing it has gone. This year's version has certainly caused far less comment than previous ones and I've figured its not worth repeating.

As for choice of classes, back then two handed performance boats were what I sailed, so that was what I was interested in. I'm not sufficiently bothered to do an analysis of every class in my own time unpaid.

Perhaps the big lesson that comes into this numbers now is that if we established sailors and clubs want to stay as a healthy sport then we have to do a damn sight more to reach out to the people who buy these boats. Too often there's a condescending "not a proper boat" attitude, bt all these boats are doing is replacing the entry level one designs of the past.


Edited by JimC - 15 Dec 10 at 6:10pm

Originally posted by JimC SMODWatch 2010. =============== Barely worth bothering, with the sales generally dropping for two handed Adult classes. RS200 is still healthy, if way down, RS400, in spite of what looked like deep trouble a few years ago still seems to be doing viable numbers, and the 800 doesn't look as if it will drop off its perch this year (Oh and healthy numbers of RS500s). Apart from that... Interesting to see that the Solo is still way up in the popularity stakes: if you discount the RS100 sales (and the RS300 sold more over 4 times as many boats in its first two seasons than it has since) then its the most popular Adult pure racing class by a mile. (Oh and discount Laser numbers - their published numbers aren't useful for this exercise). The numbers these days are in slow, pretty much non racing boats, probably thermoplastic and probably youth classes. I don't know what we need to do to turn round the sport but its not encouraging.

Don't get too "cup half empty yet there fella, a great many of those sailing those roto-moulded starter boats will hopefully choose to 'upgrade' at some point....

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by Rupert Not quite sure why the Firefly didn't post build figures for the year. They did post a "latest sail number", but as it was the same as last year's one I didn't take it very seriously!

Well, Will Mason is the lucky winner of F4000 this weekend. See latest news....

The last Firefly mag (you must have a copy Rupert...you're the new editor!) had an article on the Wilson trophy which listed a number of flights which have gone to universities (primarily for team racing I would assume). They included F4001 - F4013 if I remember rightly. I don't think it matters ultimately what use boats are put too as long as they are being 'sailed'. I would guess the number of new Fireflys in 2009 going to Universities would outnumber those to private owners by around 10:1.