Rise Of The Ok etc

I can see why this is, it's fairly obvious and indicates a gaping great whole for a solution (not The Solution or it could if they changed their rules.

These sad old classes are being used by the sailmakers and their jockeys as market places, the P&B's, the North's, the Roosters etc so like the sail juice series they have a vested interest in promoting the old and status quo, instead of what should happen, a new none SMOD interfered with box rules Billy No Mates class, open to all, builders/sailmakers alike.

It could be called Formula One and the rules be that the boat contained by the box be capable of use by a wide market two classes within it say an up to 7.5 sq mtr and up to 8.5 to cover the weight range across a wide wind range, or whatever is regarded as capable of so doing, then they throw their weight and riders behind it.

I don't want to knock something I know nothing about, in fact Roger Tushingham last time we talked was thinking an OK might be in his future as he'd tired of the Solo and there have been enough folk enthusing about it for me to assume it's OK to sail and OK.

But really what is it saying to new people like me? All we've got to offer is some old fifties design if you want to have an open to all builders class? Unless you can learn what is necessary to foil, there's not much else really is there?

It is growing but I suspect the Aero/Zero uptake will put paid to most single handed classes thought of growth over the coming few years.




Edited by iGRF - 03 Oct 14 at 2:30pm

Originally posted by Medway Maniac And do you really think raising the boom to make the boat accessible to old men and novices while sacrificing efficiency to induced drag is progress?

What makes you think that having an 18inch gap under the boom is significantly better than having a 30 inch one?

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by Medway Maniac And do you really think raising the boom to make the boat accessible to old men and novices while sacrificing efficiency to induced drag is progress? What makes you think that having an 18inch gap under the boom is significantly better than having a 30 inch one?

Some induced drag gain - small unless gap totally sealed a la windsurfer/star but it is more about distribution of area low down on a tender hiking boat. Makes a big difference to how much power can be harnessed when rm limited, when that square metre of sail area you talk of (assume 2.5m foot) is all nice and low where it has minimal heeling moment, rather than up top where it has loads of effect.
Much much more efficient.
Booms much more than 18" above deck have no place on anything except a true run through skiff or a teaching/school/academy boat.
In my most humble opinion.
Dan

You have Byte for lightweights.......Finn for heavyweights and a whole load of classes in between available for 'average' sailors. Tastes wax and wane and new boats inject themselves into the system causing damage to similar classes. Niche boats like OK survive but will vary in numbers as time goes by.

Surely Laser Radial for lightweights is far more common worldwide than the Byte?

The OK sits pretty much in the Laser space (maybe carries a bit more weight, but the overlap is huge) so that it survives at all really shows that people must value the boat.


Edited by Rupert - 03 Oct 14 at 2:38pm