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A new class of dinghy?
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JimC View Drop Down
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    Posted: 04 Sep 18 at 9:07pm
Originally posted by Rupert

I do wonder, had they left well alone, whether the boat would have weathered the storm like the Fireball has.

Not sure, its died internationally as well. Mind you the Fireball is a mere shadow of its former self. According to the ISAf reports they had 8 boats built worldwide last year, and 60 in the last 5. In 2007 it was 28 and 200, but back in the 80s there were hundreds built every year... It doesn't look good.
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 18 at 9:08pm
TBF the 3000 is a decent boat and still doing ok. 
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RS400atC View Drop Down
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Posts: 3011 		Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 18 at 9:21pm
Originally posted by JimC

Originally posted by Rupert

I do wonder, had they left well alone, whether the boat would have weathered the storm like the Fireball has.

Not sure, its died internationally as well. Mind you the Fireball is a mere shadow of its former self. According to the ISAf reports they had 8 boats built worldwide last year, and 60 in the last 5. In 2007 it was 28 and 200, but back in the 80s there were hundreds built every year... It doesn't look good.

Back in the 80s, they were building wooden boats which the top guys sold on before they needed a paintjob, and plastic boats with a short life on the front line. These days a ten year old boat is srill up for the worlds, so 8 boats a year is enough to renew an 80 boat world class fleet.
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Rupert View Drop Down
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Posts: 8956 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep 18 at 6:54am
Originally posted by 423zero

You would think with over 10,000 boats sold their would be some semblance of a class association, nothing official happened on website since 2015, everything still works, someone posted a request for a rudder this year, no answers though.


That could say more about the state of forums these days compared to FB, but the L2 does appear to be the boat most likely to be surrounded by nettles in the dinghy park.
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Rupert View Drop Down
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Posts: 8956 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep 18 at 6:55am
Originally posted by RS400atC


Originally posted by JimC

Originally posted by Rupert

I do wonder, had they left well alone, whether the boat would have weathered the storm like the Fireball has.

Not sure, its died internationally as well. Mind you the Fireball is a mere shadow of its former self. According to the ISAf reports they had 8 boats built worldwide last year, and 60 in the last 5. In 2007 it was 28 and 200, but back in the 80s there were hundreds built every year... It doesn't look good.
Back in the 80s, they were building wooden boats which the top guys sold on before they needed a paintjob, and plastic boats with a short life on the front line. These days a ten year old boat is srill up for the worlds, so 8 boats a year is enough to renew an 80 boat world class fleet.


And now compare the Fireball to the ISO...
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iGRF View Drop Down
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Posts: 6499 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep 18 at 8:12am
Originally posted by Rupert

Originally posted by RS400atC


Originally posted by JimC

Originally posted by Rupert

I do wonder, had they left well alone, whether the boat would have weathered the storm like the Fireball has.

Not sure, its died internationally as well. Mind you the Fireball is a mere shadow of its former self. According to the ISAf reports they had 8 boats built worldwide last year, and 60 in the last 5. In 2007 it was 28 and 200, but back in the 80s there were hundreds built every year... It doesn't look good.
Back in the 80s, they were building wooden boats which the top guys sold on before they needed a paintjob, and plastic boats with a short life on the front line. These days a ten year old boat is srill up for the worlds, so 8 boats a year is enough to renew an 80 boat world class fleet.


And now compare the Fireball to the ISO...


Or the Buzz.. Although I thought a couple of years back there was a group at the London Dinghy Show trying to infuse more life into it. Funny boat, the French version with a CB and the UK a dagger, my passing observation of the French version being built lighter doesn't seem to have surfaced.
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Posts: 3011 		Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep 18 at 8:26am
Originally posted by Rupert

....

And now compare the Fireball to the ISO...

The fireball is one class, from a great number of its era, which has endured.
The Iso is one class of many from a different era. It has not endured.
The Iso was a pleasant enough boat, but IMHO the Laser 4000 was streets ahead.
You have to remember that these classes came out in the UK, at a particular phase in the economic cycle, people were suddenly moving their mortage every few years and house price growth was such that people in their late 20s could often 'find' the price of a new dinghy.
Life is a little different now.
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Posts: 2538 		Post Options Post Options   Quote turnturtle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep 18 at 1:26pm
Originally posted by RS400atC

You have to remember that these classes came out in the UK, at a particular phase in the economic cycle, people were suddenly moving their mortage every few years and house price growth was such that people in their late 20s could often 'find' the price of a new dinghy.
Life is a little different now.

indeed - the aspirational millennial is just happy to have a fresh chilli chopped n' scattered across their avocado on toast, in between riding their fixie to the local puppy cuddles lounge to help deal with their smart phone addictions.  
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep 18 at 1:37pm
The difference between buying a new car and a 1 year old used car would buy you a new boat.....

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 05 Sep 18 at 1:38pm
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Posts: 2538 		Post Options Post Options   Quote turnturtle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep 18 at 1:46pm
Originally posted by Sam.Spoons

The difference between buying a new car and a 1 year old used car would buy you a new boat.....

really... on a finance plan / PCP like most people buying new vehicles?  A used approved is probably a hundred quid less a month at best compared to the repayments on a new.  Not many young people have the liquidity to buy a £4k car outright from Bob off Autotrader remember.

So assuming you take a 3 year loan to buy your boat with a £100 a month payment plan, that's around a £3k spend.  Not many new boats for that..... you could afford half an Aero and share it with your partner.  Perhaps it should have been called a "Twix" instead.    


Edited by turnturtle - 05 Sep 18 at 1:47pm
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