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MainlySwimming View Drop Down
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Posts: 65 		Post Options Post Options   Quote MainlySwimming Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Controversial Topic of the Week
    Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 9:52am

A very interesting statistic would be to see # boats at the nationals / total # boats sold for each class.  Intuitively you would expect a much higher number for the high-performance boats but I suspect you'd see some suprises where a high % of boats from some high performance classes actually spend most of their time club racing and not on the circuit / nationals.

You'd have to allow a 'wrecking rate' for older boats (eg # of MRs sold is probably not representative of # MRs still on the water)...but still would be interesting

 
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Posts: 3941 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Black no sugar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 9:32am

now breathe

It is true that many sailors enjoy the ride rather than the race. However, they probably favour more traditional boats, like an Enterprise or a Mirror. I am probably wrong, but I can't imagine anyone looking to buy a 700 just to go fishing! 
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Chris Noble View Drop Down
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Posts: 710 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Chris Noble Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 9:07am
yes but you will always have quite a number of people who have those boats but choose not to race them but sail them becasue they want to an because thats waht they enjoy doing on the water. I know this because i cant stop thinking about racing when it comes to getting on the water, but my dad simply does not see the point i cannot persaude him to even do the club series, he has done the odd one just for the hell of it but thats it, he cant understand why im so into racing, but i cant understand why he isn't i suppose this is a side of sailing that we very rarely look at as the majority of people on here are into the racing side of things of some description, this being said it doesnt stop you from leisuirly sailing, i dont know if this makes much sense but hopefully so
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Stefan Lloyd View Drop Down
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Posts: 1599 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Stefan Lloyd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 9:03am

Originally posted by Chew my RS

Anyway, do you measure the health of a class by nationals attendance or boats sold annually?

Nationals attendance, because that's a stable indicator of the number of people sailing. Boats sold annually will always make the latest popular SMOD look like a roaring success for the first year or two.
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Chew my RS View Drop Down
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Posts: 790 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Chew my RS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 8:37am

In response to my asymmetric comments:

I don't want to go off thread too much, but whilst I personally much prefer asymmetics (even on lakes), I do appreciate that they are not the 'best' solution for all boats or people. They are great sometimes, but should not be a feature of all boats as a matter of course. I made an observation about low nationals attendance for asymmetrics on the RS500 thread (I think), but I think they will grow over the coming years as these classes enter a second stage of maturity. Anyway, do you measure the health of a class by nationals attendance or boats sold annually? I don't know, probably a bit of both.

Still, it's good to see I've got some debate going!

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Posts: 962 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Matt Jackson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 8:16am

Originally posted by Stefan Lloyd

While I don't think development classes are ever going to be mainstream again in the way they were in the post-war era, I'm pretty confident the I14, MR and N12 are going to be around and active when the current crop of RSs are a fading memory. That is not an anti-SMOD statement; there will be a new generation of SMODs by then.

I agree and joking aside I do think dev classes add a lot ot the mix, without them the technology wouldn't be developed for more mainstream restricted development boats and SMOD classes to adopt.

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Bumble View Drop Down
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Posts: 302 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Bumble Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 8:04am

Originally posted by DiscoBall

................It's another of those 'class myths' perpertrated around sailing clubs because somebody heard it from a mate of a mate (and therefore it must be true...)......

I believe that would be likely. Optimally wanting 20 - 25 stone makes it the same as many classes who claim more range.
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Posts: 302 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Bumble Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 7:58am
Originally posted by Stefan Lloyd

Yes, MR is facing the same issue. There are newer boats sailing with a huge mass of lead. Personally I feel the class is being over-cautious in the rate at which the minimum hull weight is being reduced, but when you have 90-odd boats turning up to Salcombe Week over a very wide age range, you do need to be careful........

Off topic again, but I agree. The concern for the merlin goes further with extremely old boats still being very very competitive, concerns over the strength of a lighter version of what has already developed a reputation as a very strong boat and broader issues to do with the mechanics of building a boat that wide. While conservative weight reductions are being phased-in I think the main focus of any rule changes should be to reduce the cost of building...... it has never been a cheap boat. But, 90 odd boats for Salcombe and others, looking very good!!!
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Posts: 305 		Post Options Post Options   Quote DiscoBall Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 7:15am

Originally posted by allanorton

I do like the look of n12s', but they're not for me, I'm 12.5 stone, so where would I find a decent 5.5 stone crew?

 

Allan, 18stone is around the bottom of the weight range - most crews are in the 20-22st area and there are competitive teams up to 25st.

It's another of those 'class myths' perpertrated around sailing clubs because somebody heard it from a mate of a mate (and therefore it must be true...)

Tim

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Stefan Lloyd View Drop Down
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Posts: 1599 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Stefan Lloyd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 6:50am

Originally posted by Bumble

The N12 seems to face the common crisis for development classes. That is the issue of minimum weight. If they lower it the older boats will be less competitive

Yes, MR is facing the same issue. There are newer boats sailing with a huge mass of lead. Personally I feel the class is being over-cautious in the rate at which the minimum hull weight is being reduced, but when you have 90-odd boats turning up to Salcombe Week over a very wide age range, you do need to be careful.

While I don't think development classes are ever going to be mainstream again in the way they were in the post-war era, I'm pretty confident the I14, MR and N12 are going to be around and active when the current crop of RSs are a fading memory. That is not an anti-SMOD statement; there will be a new generation of SMODs by then.

 



Edited by Stefan Lloyd
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