RS400 proposed changes

Hahahaha!!!  The only way for a SMOD to survive is to effectively be a slow changing development class.  Brilliant!!

Sorry, would I should have added to my post above is that it's also fair dinkum if a manufacturer does specify that that the sails have to be made by them...OK so they've invested in the tooling for the boat so in many ways that's OK.  I see why they might do this, personally it's not my preferred option, ...as for healthy classes, just look at all the traditional classes that do allow any loft to make the sails, which have been aroud a damned site longer than the RS400.  Perhaps RS should play the long game here...personally I would be far, far more tempted by a 400 if I knew I had this option.  Ok slightly less commercially attractive for RS, but surely much better for the class long term.

What I think is not right, is that having bought into the whole one design thing, suddenly the goal posts change.  Yes, they might sell some new boats, but I wonder how many people will say "sod this, I'm off to the Merlin Rocket fleet", and you just end up with a split 400 fleet and people scratching their heads and saying "why on earth would you buy an RS400?"  As for de-valuing the boats, just look at the 49ers since the big rig came in.  People say "not worth spending the money on a new rig" (OK it's £4000 not £1500) and just buy a new boat.  SMOD manufacturer one, loyal customer nil.

I can even understand a change of sail material, and cut, but to change the shape and justify it as "it looks better" is pretty poor.

Is it the RS Elite that can have sails from any loft?  Why is it OK there but not on the 400?  Did the customer base that comissioned it just put thier collective foot down?

To be fair the only change that may make a tangible performance differance that cannot be retrofitted is the change in resin for the hull. This is madness.

Plenty of non manufacturer owned one designs have a single sail maker - I own 2, the Firefly and the Lightning. By coming to an agreement with one sailmaker, the price can be agreed, you don't get someone spending thousands on sail development, and all the sails are the same. The difference is that the clas, if they don't like the price or the product any more, can go to a different sailmaker. In the case of the Firefly, this has happened once in 64 years! In the Lightnings, the same sailmaker since the start in 1977.

Or being dropped.....