Devotti Single Hander

Mike the problem you have is your source.

I'm happy to wave the cheque book around, lucky I have disposable funds
even in times like these.

But I'm damned if I'm going to be taken for a complete fool by this
Industry any more.

You use the same source as my current craft.

I've been screwed around by them for the last time.

I waited an entire summer for the RS500 and it's a year since I ante'd up
the cash for the current boat and it's still not what I want.

In my game the customer is always right.

If he asks for a boat with a pole and a high jump, we ask how high.

No arguments 'we know best' then wander off.

If we take a customers deposit against a delivery date, we get penalty
clauses and the goods turned around if they aint delivered on time.

Right now, as you can probably tell by the rantish nature of this post I'm
p1ssed as hell with my experiences of 'the boat Industry' it doesn't
deserve ANY customers never mind my meagre offerings.

Sure I'll give you a cheque. But I'll want certain features, I WANT a bigger
centreboard yours is too small, I WANT the pole to swing like my Alto,
and I want it delivered in time for this summer, against a firm delivery
date, now there is no chance of that this season, so no point discussing it
further..

Sorry to rail at you, I recognize the problems, problem is I now know
them too well hence my reticence to part with deposit cash. I don't have
too many summers left of fitness and health, money can't buy them back
as we all know.

Edited by G.R.F.

Originally posted by Guest#260 I am sure you'd find someone to deliver to your brief of you were prepared to issue a spec for your custom requirements and put a fat deposit on the table but one-offs are very expensive ...

One offs would have no spare part back ups, no previous history.

Taken a known performer and improving it is always a better solution
than starting from scratch.

It's one of the reasons the total infatuation with "Classes" holds back
dinghy development and has spawned that mish mash of loads of
different weiredness.

The Class system should be two fold.

The strict OD and the Development bit running alongside. That way you
get a constantly improving product on the one hand and the class get the
stability of consistent support from a successful business going forward.

Eventually even your class will die, for all the excellent effort you guys
do, and it is a great class, but you will hit saturation and unless you have
something new coming along folk'll be off elsewhere.

Edited by G.R.F.

Originally posted by Guest#260 The Laser seems to have lasted pretty well with limited change ...

Yes but how many more could they have sold if they'd sorted the rig and
built it lighter...

And would there have then been all the spurious wannabe's down the years.

And how many more successful dinghy shops might there have been if
they'd built in a commercial margin?

Edited by G.R.F.

Originally posted by Guest#260 I have no idea on thir business model so could not comment but I see little wrong with the concept and 200,000 boats seems to back that up ...

And the majority of those buyers are quite happy to have a simply constructed, robust boat with a simple, easy to use rig. There are plenty of ligher boats around with more modern rigs, but they don't seem to have consigned the Laser to history.

GRF

Could not agree more ... customers are always right. 

But let us tempt fate for a moment and I'll risk driving you into the arms of another supplier.  For example you tell us the centreboard is too big.. (or was that too small ?), but you would be the first in more than a decade to say it and a few of them at least have actually sailed the boat.  So are we supposed to produce a 'special' now  ? 

Hell no ! is the standard reply - that total freedom to specify exactly what you want comes mostly with a different model - the development classes.  Owners can get exactly what they want within a very broad rules set.  But, and this is not a criticism, they do pay quite a hefty premium for that flexibility.   Dinghy classes are formula's, some with very tight rules and some with much looser ones.    

I personally like the Alto - difficult time to launch it of course but that aside it will be very interesting for many.  Could it have been 'finished' faster - almost certainly but to continually 'pan' the builder here is perhaps not the best way forward or to progress things ....  We all screw up occasionally, even more so with development and test equipment, that is why it is called 'development' but most do respond so much better with less public rants against them.  Development is about constructive feedback and full involvement and meaningful 2-way communication    I am led to believe you have the first development boat btw (?) ... should have come with a standard NDA maybe.   Standard 'hearts and minds' stuff as well as the only way to run boat development.... or any other.

Yup -  if I have not delivered you to the development classes or another maker by now and you really do want to try a FrankenBlaze concept (not our preferred name btw) we can deliver before Summer as the Blaze is a production boat.   We can do specials but they come with the standard disclaimer that they are 'development' rather than 'class' boats etc even with a small centreboard if you want to experiment.  We do really subscribe to the customers always right principle .... they just might be.  So if you want to give it a go just add 'spec and cheque'.

Mike L.