The vortex concept

Hector, just because you don't agree with some of the negative comments doesn't mean that you can slam them all as exaggerated and misleading. I got this from you.

Medway got this for his sins:

So are you saying that the Vortex is only a boat for experts? If so it is never going to succeed in a handicap fleet of mixed boats and abilities. And it was originally marketed as being relatively easy to sail for it's performance.

Laser stopped building the Vortex because not enough people bought them. Perhaps you don't rate opinions of the general boat-buying public either!

Why not if they are exaggerated and misleading? Perhaps I'm not as elequent as some on here and have put it badly - Reading it back I was perhaps a bit harsh on you in particular. Perhaps I should have added 'in my experience'. So I guess it is possible to sail a Vortex as slow as a Topper just as I suppose it is say a Contender - in my experience it's very unlikely (and I've provided actual evidence of light wind performance).  To be fair to Spin Cycle, he was a long way ahead on the Sunday at Keilder so he probably wasn't aware how well the Vortex were doing - that doesn't make his comments accurate though.

Of course it's not a boat 'just for experts'. But like any boat it's results will be better when sailed by those from the front half of the fleet.

You may think that's why Laser stopped building them - I think it's because they are a volume selller, they had other problems and changed marketing strategies. It's true they weren't making enough money selling at the volumes involved and yes sales did slow considerably once they stopped marketing the boat - little suprise there. The class is talking to potential new builders right now.

Do I rate the opinions of the general boat-buying public? Do you mean the masses who buy Picos etc? Anyway, if the lack of 'general boat-buying public' buying a particular class means that class is fair game to have 'iffy' statements made about them on here, then I await the onslaught on the dozens of classes with less support than the Vortex.

Tell you what, come and see me on the Vortex stand at the show this weekend, and we'll discuss it over a pint - same goes to you Medway Maniac.

BIG edit in penultimate Para - and apologies to ayone from Cherubs/ IC/ 18' Skiff who may have read original - I didn't mean to drag you into this discussion.

Can't make the show (I need an airplane to get there so only do every 2 or three years) so pop the pint in the post!  Or go to the Hurricane stand, buy someone there a pint and tell them they owe me!

What does strike me though on your Kielder race results is that both Phil and Keith dropped six places in that last race - the one with really light wind!

My point has never been that the Vortex sails like a dog. Rather that in any racing, you are best sailing like against like. This is clearly not the easiest thing in handicap fleets but the Vortex's performance characteristics have a noticeably different profile to monos across the wind range.

Racing a Vortex in a F5 remains one of my all time favourite experiences. It's a cracking little boat, tough as old boots, the helm is light and the daggerboards stay where you put them. I just couldn't make it work in the light stuff and I don't think that was all down to me.

(PS do you still swap the cunningham and gnav controls over? Mine was 1089 - I think)

I thought we were going to leave the light wind perfomance thing alone now.... ahh, you mean Hector

Sorry couldn't resist.

Tee Hee! That's actually very good.

I'll sort you out later Matt  

BTW when does Scaling re-open?