RS 400, 600, 700 and 800 Nationals

   Does anyone know why the attendance at the RS 400, 600, 700 and 800 is down by so much in each class this year.
RS 400 down 14 or 19%
RS 600 down 14 or 40%
RS 700 down 6 or 17%
RS 800 down 19 or 27%
These are down quite a lot compared to other classes (except the OK which was well down - Nationals too close to a Worlds?)
I always thought Abersoch and Pwelli were popular destinations? Could it be the date?

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Contender443 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 01 Oct 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1211	Post Options Post Reply Quote Contender443 Report Post Quote Reply Topic: RS 400, 600, 700 and 800 Nationals Posted: 01 Sep 05 at 11:33pm
	Does anyone know why the attendance at the RS 400, 600, 700 and 800 is down by so much in each class this year. RS 400 down 14 or 19% RS 600 down 14 or 40% RS 700 down 6 or 17% RS 800 down 19 or 27% These are down quite a lot compared to other classes (except the OK which was well down - Nationals too close to a Worlds?) I always thought Abersoch and Pwelli were popular destinations? Could it be the date?
	Bonnie Lass Contender 1764

simsy Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 14 Jun 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 158	Post Options Post Reply Quote simsy Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 02 Sep 05 at 8:09pm
	Just what I heard But, 800's are predominantly sailed in the south, and if you go and host the nationals up in North Wales somewhere, it might just seem a bit far for certain people to go!?!?!

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Sep 05 at 11:15am
	Looking at the stats it seems as if last year was a very popular venue which distorts the numbers. However the 400 and 600 have been on the slide for a while. The typical SMOD class seems to have a peak after about three years and then lose popularity as other things become fashionable. Edited by JimC

fizzicist Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 06 Aug 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 305	Post Options Post Reply Quote fizzicist Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Sep 05 at 7:49pm
	I think the 400 has lost a lot of sailors to the 200 as it's a big boys boat and I've heard a few people mentioning that they can't afford the time in the Gym to keep up the weight. Plus the 200 is a good husband&wife type class. A swift peek at the stats shows it to be up by 10% or so. The 600 lost a lot of people to the 700, which in turn lost a lot of people to the Musto Skiff. However used 600's are so cheap its just not true, so I'm sure the class will pick up just like the 300 has. The RS300 is looking reasonably healthy the pre-entered boats already outnumber this years 600 fleet. We now have a real shortage of second hand 300's, which is the only thing hampering growth - used values have strenghtened by 20-30% this year alone!
	Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.

Calum_Reid Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Groupie Joined: 09 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 59	Post Options Post Reply Quote Calum_Reid Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Sep 05 at 7:53pm
	The 400's was down because of its timing (during scottish school term and last week of english holidays) and it had a very good attendance last year. Not that the timing stopped me taking a week of school.


JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Sep 05 at 8:39pm
	The funny thing about the 400 and weight is that it only seems to be needed on the sea. Inland - or at least at my club - the best weight seems to be quite a lot lighter, probably in the 22-24 stone region. The heavyweights really suffer offwind. Maybe the weight is only needed to get the boat upwind through waves?

Ian29937 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 25 May 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 409	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ian29937 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Sep 05 at 8:50pm
	The numbers were disappointing and certainly broke the trend in the 700's where attendances at the opens are generally up on last year. I think the long drive from the south coast may be part of it, but I think a bigger issue was the proximity to the La Rochelle Eurocup. I know it only felt like 5 minutes passed between returning from France and packing up the family for the 6 hour drive from Norfolk to Wales. A lot of the people who attended La Rochelle weren't at the Nationals and vice versa. For them I think it was probably an either/or situation. The numbers back this up as entries for the La Rochelle Eurocup were actually up 7 on the 2004 event which was Lake Garda, normally a crowd puller! It's a shame really as the event was great, with excellent race management and plenty of beach to amuse the family. On the water it was facinating watching Pete Greenhalgh, Jason Belben and neil Robinson slogging it out for the championship.

Calum_Reid Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Groupie Joined: 09 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 59	Post Options Post Reply Quote Calum_Reid Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Sep 05 at 9:05pm
	My dad and i only weigh about 23 stone and we are quick in wind and waves and not in the light stuff. Specky's crew this year was not big at all so they could only weigh about 22-23 stone and the helm of the 2nd placed boat was also little. U dont have to be heavy to do well in the waves and wind in a 400.


KnightMare Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1682	Post Options Post Reply Quote KnightMare Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Sep 05 at 9:28pm
	I have noticed that the cllubs that have opted for a 400 fleet instead of a 200 one seem to be suffering now. Our 200 fleet is defiinatly growing but I have seen clubs where their 400 fleet took off well to start with but now they only have 1boat out every weekend (and not even that sometimes because there is no competition). when i asked them why they thought this was, it was mentioned that the boat was a bit big and that if they had had a 200 flett they didnt think that this would have happened. (but that the 200 would have stolen people from the lark fleet so that is why it wasnt introduced)


gordon Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 07 Sep 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1037	Post Options Post Reply Quote gordon Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Sep 05 at 10:11pm
	The RS 400 with a 22-24 stone crew - I didn't know one was allowed to sail it single handed! A two handed boat for heavy weights - 2 second row forwards (a rugby reference for those of you who play with round balls) - should accept about 36-38 stone - but even the Olympic heavy weight boat (the Star) doesn(t do that any more. Please let us have a true dinghy for non-dwarfs! 200 kg minimum crew weight would be about right. Gordon
	Gordon