Are one designs really all equal ??

Having read Mark Rushalls recent article on one designs im not so sure hes right. He says its the only way to dismiss the notion that your boat isnt as fast as somebody elses. So why do the top Laser sailors buy Aussie boats. Ive known of lasers and Rs,s which no matter who sails them are real dogs. And on the other hand there have also been cases of sailors who seem to win everything until they replace their boat !!!

I haven't read the article but... I'm sure that there must be some duff One Design hulls, mast's or sails that get into the market. May be as a result of Friday afternoon tiredness? And may be because of the nature of One Design sailing these boats show up more, and cause a kind of Chinese Whisper effect. And hence a sort Urban Myth. This effect may also work the other way, for fast boats. Because as Jim says, it can be a big head game. And the human species is quite effected by the 'Herd' effect.

Having sailed heavy and old SMODs, I know next time someone seems to catch a puff and sail away from me, I'll blame the way I'm sailing first and foremost.

How does everyone else know that they are sailing perfectly and therefore any holes in their performance are down to their boat? In one of my SMODS, I can't point upwind in the light for peanuts, but I do well beating in a breeze. In other SMODS, I kick ass upwind in light. In one of those I get killed by the national champion upwind in a breeze but rule downwind; in the other I fly upwind in a breeze but used to get dorked downwind when I had a brand-new boat. Now I have a 25 year old heap I'm quicker. The new boat was definitely not at all slow, but sailing other classes may have improved my touch (which wasn't bad to start with).

Since one person can have such variation in their own ability, from condition to condition and class to class, how come so many people know that all their boatspeed fluctuations are the boat's fault?

I do know one guy who had a slow Laser, he feels. It was in the worlds, and he went from 7th (or so) one year, to 3rd next year, and then to about 17th when he had the dog. But almost no one outside a Worlds team would be able to really notice the sort of speed difference that takes you from 3 to 17 in a Laser worlds.

The only thing about the old development v OD drama I may add is that if the development classes DON'T get significantly faster as they develop, then surely they're not actually providing the improvement in design they claim to be?

SMOD's may be one design but the manufacturer cannot measure every string or mark every setting. My sons very successfull single hander, two national champs ect., is set up just the way he likes it and sails very differently to other boats in the class. I believe that in close racing conditions these personal "default" settings can make all the difference. We all worry about wieght but if you think that your boat is a little bit too heavy, just miss you breakfast and make sure your bowels are clear !

You have to be realistic is this debate, it's an old chesnut really and it's not fair to compare SMODs anddev classes because the same adage rings true - it's boat handling and reading the conditions that puts the likes of Nick Craig, Mike McNamara and Richard Estaugh at the front consistenly, not a few kg's either way... in a perfectly level, intensively measured world (e.g. Olympics) the best sailors win that's why Ben Ainslie turns up having sailed a finn for 5 minutes and dominates a world class field - not 'cos his carbon tiller extension was lighter than someone elses'

As for weighing boats before you buy 2nd hand.... easier said than done