Dinghy development: Is the RYA completely out of touch

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Is the RYA completely out of touch

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13999
Printed Date: 06 Aug 25 at 11:35pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Is the RYA completely out of touch

Posted By: tink
Subject: Is the RYA completely out of touch
Date Posted: 04 Mar 23 at 6:54pm

One week on from the dinghy show

The RYA has released a video of the highlights for dinghy racers

https://youtu.be/hoPdQvZeqAs" rel="nofollow - https://youtu.be/hoPdQvZeqAs

Two foilers - if your average dinghy racers main focus was speed we would have been sailing cats since the 60s

A new block

Environmentally friendly laminating, zero impact on dinghy racing

A compass/computer that costs more than your average weekend warriors boat

Completely missed

The new topper - an amazing bit of engineering

Clam cleat Jiffy Tie, innovative and an injection moulding machine at the show (how they got that past health and safety)

Hartley - keep getting rights for some great classes that people want and put them in production

Merlin Rockets, was it 4 or 5, what class dedication to get so many boats on show

ISO, still revitalising an old class giving performance racing on a budget

That A Rater, old classes as high tech as you like

Those glorious Shearwaters

And not forget the enthusiasm of all the amateurs manning stands for the love of their class rather than the profit associated with the RYA top 5.

Now my pick is nowhere near as exiting but probably more in line with the average visitors interest.

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Tink
https://tinkboats.com

http://proasail.blogspot.com

Replies:

Posted By: Do Different
Date Posted: 05 Mar 23 at 4:31pm

Dunno Tink. Your list means more to me than the RYA, mind you Y&Ying.com doesn't seem to be connecting with many people either.

Posted By: Dougaldog
Date Posted: 05 Mar 23 at 6:40pm

Well Tink... I think you may have picked up on one of the great truism's that is the bigger story across our sport today! There's a growing disconnect between the 'elite' and the 'e-lot'. On the one hand you have the clamour that 'foiling is the future' and yes, it is not unfair to say that some of this is top down direction. But to me, the boats that caught my eye at Farnborough.... the Europe which is rapidly becoming the small singlehander of choice... the Streaker, the H2 (which is fast cementing a position as the 'boat to be proud to own') then.... the Scorpions, Merlins, even the Firefly had a buzz about it and, as you also pointed out, the supposed 'old fashioned' Shearwaters - I'm looking forward to being their RO later in the summer.

Is this evidence that the RYA are 'out of touch' is a hard question to answer and in a way, you might be right. It certainly has hints that there's still a lack of focus on the domestic grassroots scene, but then you could say that the Show itself is just a reflection of this. No Phantoms, Enterprise and other classes, the rapid growth of the watersports area in the Hall all point to the wider change in the scenery. That said, one could equally argue that the Show is in itself no more than a mirror to what is actually happening out there.....

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Dougal H

Posted By: Old Timer
Date Posted: 07 Mar 23 at 9:14am

A New Topper? Any links?

Posted By: davidyacht
Date Posted: 07 Mar 23 at 4:26pm

Rather depressingly I seem to remember the Windsurfing show at Ally Pally diversifying into other watersports, as did the Windsurfing Hall at the Boat Show, this was shortly before the sports demise, or at least it disappearing up it's own a**e.

The Northampton Sailing Club thread is also pointing in a direction where dinghy racing may morph into one of a mixed bag of on water leisure pursuits, which may be better suited to municipal operation, rather than sailing clubs as we know them.

The problem for the RYA is that it wants to have a finger in multiple pies, but to the average dinghy racer, they will only subscribe to a National association that is 100% seen to be fighting their corner.

Ian Walker's leaving did not help this perception.

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Happily living in the past