Advertising via sail numbers? 55

Originally posted by Mark Jardine Originally posted by fudheid Originally posted by Dougaldog Soggy Badger.   Au contraire: Banks make all their sails at the loft in Park Gate - and what is more, make them very well indeed. What is more, because they are independant and do actually 'make' their sails, they have a damn good idea how to make changes. The Contender sail they made for me recently - to a very different and 'demanding' set of requirements, is a superb sail that works just how i wanted it too and is very well made.   D Errrrr i think not. (nice myth that they are carrying on British built my arse!) Think you will find that these speed sails/banks sails (tape drive copies) are from China Sail Factory. They are easy to spot as The tape drive / 3DL / D4 membranes are PATENTED so all CSF can do is straight lines and not follow the catenary paths of the loads like a true load path sail....... Yes they still make sails in their loft but they also import from China Sail Factory...... There are not that many facilities to make this sort of sail so unless it is a Uk tape drive, north 3dl or a Dimension polyant D4, ullman membrane, you are likely to be looking at a China sail membrane. fudheid, I don't mind discussion on this forum, but I do mind people spouting something that is completely untrue when they are trying to sound factual. All Banks Sails are made in the UK. Don't want to take my word for it? Take David Banks' word for it: For the record, Banks Sails have built every dinghy sail they have ever sold in the Southampton loft. The patent on the load line technology that is the basis of the current tape drive, 3DL and membrane built sails ran out years ago. Banks Sails has its own machine in Italy that manufactures Membrane sails. We have a worldwide reputation for quality and integrity and to my knowledge we do not have any dissatisfied customers. We can only assume that the ill-informed  information that has been published on this forum has come from a misguided friend of a competitor sail maker who didn’t realise that we still make fast sails. If anyone wants any clarification on how we make sails please call either Daryl Morgan or myself. So fudheid, next time you post, get your facts right. Ignorance does not make you look clever at all.

Originally posted by SoggyBadger Originally posted by Pierre So anyway, let's all sail Ospreys. So tempting... but no crew and little time to sail makes getting back into Ospreys a non-starter

Originally posted by JohnW The current popularity of single handers seems in part to be down to lack of crew availability.

That must be in part down to the fact they never get the credit that is due to them as an essential part of the team. Why the helm should take all the honours, I find embarrassing personally, the higher the level of sailing, the more important the crew becomes imv.

There does seem to be a stigma attached to being a crew which seems to put a lot of da youf off especially when they get a bit more independent. Amongst young lads there also appears to be a real clammer to be the first amongst mates to buy a musto skiff. In my day at 17 we all crewed for others or sailed lasers and the only thing we clammered for was our driving licence.
Moving back to the fantastic response against iGrf I think it's worth considering how those not so forum familiar view the rantings on here. I am absolutely sure that a great number of possible users are put off by what is said and many just want genuine advice but aren't willing to put up with the aggressive responses. I don't mind the tone on here but then I'm often considered a bit rude and brash and I've grown up with t'internet. I am ever mindful though that there is a considerable group who are far better mannered and more respectful who we could all help out.

Originally posted by craiggo Moving back to the fantastic response against iGrf

Hmm have I missed something here?

Apart from the usual suspects, one of which is one of the regulars sole purpose in posting, I think it's fairly measured. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, and the more of them there are, the better the forum. Like it or not forums flourish with controversy, it doesn't worry me, if I get to the point where I genuinely feel to much animosity, I'd shove off for a bit, have on the odd occasion, they moan, but they don't exactly take up the batten and post with any more flourish. There is plenty of space for all, it's not as if this forum was exactly busy and loads have left, other than the vomitting on each other Cherubs..