RS500 ...

Originally posted by Stefan Lloyd Originally posted by JimC But dinghy sailing seems to be strongest on the Countries where there's lots of choice. What do you base that on (other than UK)? In the USA, as an example, the bastion of consumer choice, dinghy sailing appears to be dying on its feet.

But there is very little choice in dinghies in the US. That's my point. The country is completely wedded to the "buy what's in numbers in your area" bit, and as a result no-one buys anything at all...

Well I’ve only been in the US a couple of weeks but there certainly seems to be a reasonable dinghy fleet in the Houston area. The kids sail Optimists and then move into Lasers or 420s and the adults sail Lasers or V15s (which is a bit like a Laser2 with no trapeze or kite) or 470s.

The main difference seem to be that dinghy racing is mainly run on week nights over very short courses with maybe 5 15min races in a night. On weekends most of the dinghy fleet tends to be found crewing on the keelboat fleet.

The fleets seem to be generally much more localised and there is much less travelling for things like open events though there are local inter club series but that is not exactly surprising when going to a nationals could mean a 2 day drive. Importing a new class could probably work on a local/state level but were as in the UK if you want class racing there is generally an open circuit that means 1 weekend away a month and maybe a 3-4 hr drive each way at the end of it there is not that option here so people are more likely to stick with what ever the local clubs sail.

 

Originally posted by 49erGBR735HSC There is some sort of linkage between the 2 and 18 though, remember reading about it, will have to read the book again! Thanks for the information Jim.

That era especially there was huge interaction between all the various skiff classes and the Cherubs and NS14s. The L2 hull was based on Nicky Bethwaite's worlds winning Cherub. Amongst the other Cherub designers alongside the Bethwaites (also NS14s) in Aus at the time were Ben Lexcen (18s, Contender), Ken Beashel (16s, 18s) and in NZ Bruce Farr (Cherubs, 18s, Moths), Russ Bowler (12s, 18s). Up and coming folk who were later to make a mark in 18s included Andrew Buckland, who invented the asymmettric kite, and Iain Murray, who was to become a big name in the 18s.
'course a lot of those guys have had some impact on a certain ugly bit of victorian silverware too...

Originally posted by 49erGBR735HSC I thought it was Juliian Bethwaite who invented the assymetric kite? Probably the first designer to apply it to a "production" boat, or did they develope it together?

There is an article "faster than the wind" which may be a pdf now on bethwaite .com
This details the people, and Julian B is amongst many others who took this on board from poles hard on the forestay to assyms and bowsprits.

What he was first to do was to put a permanent bowsprit on the 18s. Other guys had them retracting on skate board wheels. The exocet (B14) was (is?) produced with a fixed one in Aus.

Him and frank are the best at 'productising' from development, and very nice guys they are if you get the chance to meet them.

The RS800 flatters them (imitation) and I think is the nicest offering from the LDC stable !

Originally posted by 49erGBR735HSC I thought it was Juliian Bethwaite who invented the assymetric kite?

Andrew Buckland came up with the idea - end of season chat -"hey we never sail with the pole off the forestay anyway nowadays so lets have a fixed pole and the rest. So both Andrew and Julian decided to put them on their next season's boats. Julian's hit the water first for an invitational event in the US that Andrew wasn't going to, so Julian's got wet first.