Classes getting it right...

Follow up to my classes in trouble list, again using the extraordinary blunt implement of Y&Y Championship turnouts to indicate health, this is my list of classes who are growing turnouts wise...

What I've done is compare the average turnout according to the chart from 1998 to 2002 with the average turnout from 2004 through to 2006. I dropped classes which are new or had several missing years to stuff up the numbers.

Solo         23%
Lark         27%
Cherub       29%
Firefly      32%
Mirror       33%
RS200        38%
Splash       54%
LaserRadial 61%
Laser4.7     61%
Topper       63%
Streaker     85%
Phantom      90%
Blaze       216%
Tornado     254%

Well, how about the Tornado eh? Fastest growing Championships in the country...that one was a suprise. Actually I left cats out of the other list, but that number for the big T was worth noting. Its about the only case I've ever seen where a big performance upgrade has upped popularity...

The Cherub position is a bit spurious, the class was having a run of unpopular Champs late 90s. The current numbers are encouraging but not as big a jump as it looks... The RS200 is also a bit misleading as it includes the class kick off.

But basically the growing boats are singlehanders, and mostly singlehanders I wouldn't be seen dead in! Did someone in he other thread suggest that the Solo wasn't doing well? He was wrong!!



Edited by JimC

Originally posted by Guest#260 Jim, why drop the new classes, if you wish to comment on growth they are the key areas ...

Because in my opinion it doesn't give useful figures for this particular exercise. A class that had 10 boats at its first champs and has topped out at twenty five thereafter looks great on his particular comparison if its first champs were 2002, but mediocre if its first champs were 1998.

And no, I don't see any particular evidence to suggest that new classes are the key area for growth of the sport. There is some suggestion that you get a flavour of the month effect with some sailors moving from currently fashionable boats the next - say I14 - L4000 - RS800 - Musto skiff over the last fifteen years, but if you look at YYs table there are only two classes in the top 25 that weren't holding Champs in 1998... And what's more the two new classes that are in the list are youth classes.

It pains me to say it, but the boats I like and like to sail are in participation terms almost completely irrelevant to the total participation in the sport.

has the Tornado pulled saiors  from (arguably derivative) classes such as the H5.9? - the big performance boost of the current tornado worth the hassle of being 'overwidth' for towing now?

Good to see the Blaze on there with a large growth. For information I was chatting to the new builder yesterday and he has already sold the first batch of new boats and is considering having to do a second run. Add to that the fact that you cannot get a secondhand one easily (they are just selling really quickly) and you have a class on the up...

A lot is down to the class association and down to the fact that they have taken on the building (same as all ex Topper GRP boats most of whom have corrected the annoying niggles from Topper and now have great boats).

Paul

There are some boats in the list that you would not expect to be there for defo.  Larks? Fireflys? Laser 4.7?  And what is a Splash?  Have to wonder: 1) Did you mess up the figures. 2) If the figures are correct what on earth explains them....