RS500 ...

Sounds to me like your in need of some Scorpion therapy.

Been reading all this stuff about boatspeed with much interest. Whilst I agree you don't need a brand-new boat with perfect foils, sails etc to win, why make life difficult? If you can win with a slow boat, think how much easier and less stressful life would be if your boat was faster! Boat preparation may be time-consuming (some people might even say boring), but it's a lot less time-consuming than the hours and hours on the water you'd need to hone your boat handling and tactics to the level where you can make up for a basic lack of speed.

The best start ever won't help you if you get rolled 200yds up the first beat by 5 boats whose start was nearly as good as yours, but who are simply going 1/4 of a knot faster!

Neil

Well firstly of course I'd love to have a go!

I wonder though if the Contender would be the class it is today. The Contender has grown in numbers gradually over the years (2400 in 40ish years) never really attracting the pot-hunters that Olympic selection would have brought, never really forcing development. Sometimes low-tech is better for a classes longevity, which is why there are so many Contenders still around. Sure weight could have been reduced and exotic mateials brought in earlier but maybe we don't want to have to think too hard about (or put our hand in our pockets for) the techy stuff.

By the way, the Contender IS 'The Ultimate Singlehander', it says so on the website and try as many people have it's never been disproved

Originally posted by Matt Jackson By the way, the Contender IS 'The Ultimate Singlehander', it says so on the website and try as many people have it's never been disproved

Cambridge on Line Dictionary

ultimate adjective [before noun] most extreme or important because either the original or final, or the best or worst:

Right. Its clearly not the most extreme singlehander, its clearly not (by neither numbers or international distribution) the most important, its definitely neither the orginal singlehander nor the final singlehander, I don't suppose you're claining its the worst, so the onlty possible claim on the work ultimate is that its the "best" singlehander. The claim's looking very rocky already.

Now lets go back to the same source for a definition of best.

best (SUPERLATIVE OF GOOD) adjective of the highest quality, or being the most suitable, pleasing or effective type of thing or person:

Well clearly not of the highest quality, otherwise there wouldn't be one design restrictions which prevent you making it better. Most suitable? Means very little in this context - the Contender may be the most suitable boat for Contender racing as no others are allowed, but that's true of any class. Pleasing? No, you can't see a boat which is as rare as the Contnder is especially pleasing, the Laser wins the popularity contest hands down. Effective? Again effective for what, but in terms of speed, ease of handling or any other factors there are clearly superior boats in any factor. About all you could claim is its a compromise sonme people like.

Right, that disproves that claim (which is equally ridiculous for every other class that makes it in any way, 14 class please note). Going to get it taken off your website?

Jim - one-design restrictions are there to stop you making it different, not necessarily better. Define better? Better does not necessarily mean faster. "Of the highest quality" can only be in the judgement of someone. I could quite easily imagine people believing a Contender to be "of the highest quality"

Numbers built has nothing to do with how "pleasing" a boat may be. No-one could possibly claim that a Laser is pleasing upwind in 6 knots - or 20 knots come to that! So there are huge fleets all over the world,does that make it pleasing? By that measure the Toyota Corolla is the most pleasing car in the world...

None of your arguments work, whichever way you cut it. If I didn't know better I might think you've got a bit of a chip on your shoulder

Neil