Controversial Topic of the Week

yes and most kids don't want to do Maths or English either but adults
educate them because they need to know how to add up and spell.

Originally posted by Adds Even though the RS200 has taken most of the N12 fleet. I think the N12 are great boats especially in restricted waters. But the general sailor wants a little bit more fun for the crew downwind. which equals the RS200.

exactly why we sold our N12 and got an RS200!

Yes i think you are right. My not saying this class is better that that.
My point was that with out the N12 being the first inexpensive ( relative
to 14 ) National sailed dinghy we all owe the class an awful lot. And
without it things would be very different.

Originally posted by turnturtle

fair enough, you know your history.  Of course, my use of the
Firefly example was to make the point that any other dinghy other than
a 12 could well have sparked the career featured in the obituary...
many great boat designers will have spent formative years in box-type
(sorry don't know the correct shipwright term) but oppies, mirrors and
cadets- other than the basic principles and the love of sailing these
junior classes develop, I doubt their actual 'design' influences the
thinking of the Morrisons and Bethwaites of the world.
[/QUOTE]

Originally posted by JimC There doesn't seem to be any evidence that cheque book sailing is any more prevalent in open rule boats than closed rule boats.

How hard have you looked Jim?

Originally posted by JimC It can be argued that cheque book sailing is easier and safer in SMODs than in open rules boats, because a SMOD a brand new set of sails will always be quicker, whereas a cunning new sail design in a more open rule boat, be it a development class or one of the more liberal one designs (like the Contender say), could end up slower.

But you can never be quicker than the benchmark new boat (subject to manufacturing tolerances) - which is like, the point. And anyway who mentioned easier/safer? you only need a few boats gamble (no matter how big that gamble is) to pay off to obsolete the whole fleet.

Originally posted by JimC There are plenty of good reasons for people to choose SMODs against more open rule boats (or vice versa) but that's not among them.

in your opinion.

Originally posted by Matt Jackson I think the development classes will be around forever because there's always going to be chequebook sailors

If you think the N12 is a cheque book sailing class you'd better supply a large cheque and try winning their Champs...

[sigh] There doesn't seem to be any evidence that cheque book sailing is any more prevalent in open rule boats than closed rule boats - viz the one design keelboat classes where they seem to favour a new set of sails every regatta - as blatant an example of cheque book sailing as you will ever see.

It can be argued that cheque book sailing is easier and safer in SMODs than in open rules boats, because a SMOD a brand new set of sails will always be quicker, whereas a cunning new sail design in a more open rule boat, be it a development class or one of the more liberal one designs (like the Contender say), could end up slower.

There are plenty of good reasons for people to choose SMODs against more open rule boats (or vice versa) but that's not among them.