Classes fading in popularity

What can be achieved can be seen with the Junior (Cadet,  Mirror, Optimist and Topper) and Youth (420 and Laser) classes,  the RYA have focussed their efforts on a small number of classes.  As a result sailing at junior and youth level has flourished with large numbers competing in these classes,  just look at the Champs table.

With limited choice parents know what to buy,  so there is minimal dilution,  resources and sailors are focussed to a few key classes.

Surely this could be done at other levels without introducing restrictive practices ?

I think there is a general increase in the numbers of kids sailing as a whole, the non RYA classes such as the RS Feva managed to get plenty sailing at their nationals this year!

We have probably seen the end of manufacturers constantly trying to introduce new "Racing" classes as they realise there is more money to be made in the "Leisure" end of the market with boats like the RS Vision etc.

The situation is not really much different to the situation in the 60s / 70s where a large number of new classes were formed in a relatively short time. The better ones, such as the Fireball and Hornet are around today. Others, which were large classes for a while have faded away.

Some of the "New Classes" which have been introduced are relatively specialist, such as the RS300 and despite marketing effort will never attract "average club sailors". If the design is good, (or is improved significantly as occured in the Blaze) the class will survive. A good example of this occurring is the B14. (Although this isn't a strictly a SMOD).

Is there a basic incompatibility between SMOD principles and long-term survival as a racing class?

The obvious exception is the the Laser, but even they gave way on rigging updates that serious racers had been crying out for decades. Topper introduced the centre main.

Smaller SMOD classes may be signing their own death warrants by resisting some level of development. Unfortunately, in the early years it tends to be under manufacturer control. There's also a band-wagon of owners to contend with who don't want their boats being devalued by improved models and "cheque book sailing" kicking in.

Maybe most SMODs have a 10-year lifecycle (if they're lucky) after which the manufacturer bails out. It's left to the CA to upgrade, to make up for 10-years of technological stagnation, or die.

If the CA has lost impetus by this stage, there's only one outcome

If there's still a pulse though, this point can be the making of a class, gaining their independence (if an new small builder is prepared to take them on and the manufacturer is co-operative)

 If the design is good, (or is improved significantly as occured in the Blaze) the class will survive .....

The only real technical change was to the sail.  All hulls come and came from the same mould etc and virtually all today have converted to the revised (smaller !) sail and that change was years ago.  Finding used boats of any age can be very difficult now and pre-used prices have actually risen significantly in the last 3 years.  

The real key to class  sustainability is however not the boat, however relatively "good" - It's the people who want to race them.  If they get themselves organised the class will do a lot more than survive - it will prosper.  They can work with the manufacturer but must be fully independent and take responsibility themselves.  "We" must be the ones who organise racing, consider technical changes, write the rules, even occasionally challenge the manufacturer etc - after all it's us who pay for everything.   If you think any manufacturer is going to do it for you forever or only to benefit the customer well dream on and start counting the days !  That's not to say associations cannot work well with the builder but so many good classes start to fail because the "it's THEIR fault" attitude prevails.

Get stuck in - it's YOU that makes the difference. ... Well perhaps food for thought if you like your boat but think somebody else should be doing more .....

Regards - Mike Lyons (Blaze Class Association)

Congratulation Mike on your record Blaze Nationals attendence ... you must be doing something right!

You get my vote: SMODs out ... power to the PEOPLE (and their Class Associations)

Just hope we have the same success turning our Laser 3000 'ugly duckling' into a Vandercraft 3000 'swan'.

I should add that Laser UK have been co-operative, making efforts to support a discontinued product line, and designers Bethwaite and Clark are also chipping in.

(Laser 3000 Class Association)