Have RS lost their Faith in Hyde Sails?

Boardsailing also just plain old went out of fashion.
It became something that 30-somethings did and the 20-somethings went and did other things instead.
Most people I knew who were very keen to spend all their cash on boards in the late 80s and early 90s were not at all interested in racing or competitions. For most of the board buying public it never was anything like dinghy racing. The board racing club at Southsea were seen as a weird minority by most of the youngish single blokes with boards on the roof of their car at the place I worked. (Not far from Hayling.) A windy afternoon would cause half the blokes in the office to take a half day holiday, then come in the day after talking bollux about how monstrous it was.  Fun times.
It partly just burned itself out as people got competent, got bored of simply sailing around aimlessly and only wanted to go out in progressively more wind.
At its peak, it was nothing like dinghy racing for 90% of the participants. More like skiing perhaps, except most people have their skiing rationed and never get enough to get bored of it?

I think the Finns are ok, with over 300 boats at the masters worlds last year and over 200 boats at the worlds in 2015...

Originally posted by JimC The chain restaurants haven't put the independents out of business. 'Twas the customers who went to them who did that.

Edited by turnturtle - 25 Jan 17 at 4:43pm

Windsurfing still has big classes, they just don't sail on your ponds, and here in the UK they lost interest in the RYA and getting dubious service from racing at sailing clubs so went UDI. It is only this country that killed windsurfing at club level, it's still alive and very well in Holland, Sweden had a resurgence with the Kona Class, the Techno class has huge fleets in France and the RSX Globally is still working.

Windsurfers,rather like myself, do have a 'thing' about authoritarianism, OK you lot live with it and let yourself be serfs to RYA authority, let yourself get hauled up before the disciplinary committee for sailing 'too fast' through the moorings, let your kids get abused at squad training. That's fine, your choice, mine now I'm old enough to tolerate the predictability of dinghy world stupidity, but it won't stop me trying to open your eyes to when you're being 'worked' over.

Edited by iGRF - 25 Jan 17 at 4:09pm

Twas the customers who went to them who did that.

Exactly ... you makes your choice and .....   Moaning rights don't always come as easily afterwards !

But then I can't totally agree with Jim - the SMOD movement started way back with the Mirror and Laser and to a lesser extent later on with the Topper - were these classes the thin edge of the wedge as well ?   I'd argue as readily that these classes and later still the RS ones maintained dinghy racing at affordable mass market levels...  Want an example ? .... it perhaps needed the ISO etc to keep the Fireball 'honest' surely (ie to exert downward pressure to remain affordable as an overall package)...  If you don't have these competitive and market influences this sport can get to be run by a small racing fanatic elite - who always tend to want 'better' kit as well as telling the rest of us what WE should be doing. 

Just look at what 'they' managed in such a short period with board racing.   Against all odds they snatched 'fast decline' from the jaws of  'wild success' as quick as something very quick....   They are probably still wondering what went so wrong - well they would I guess. 

Real choice in most markets can be crude and result in some unforeseen outcomes (or ones YOU simply don't like).... the alternatives are however generally far worse.  We have plenty of choice in dinghy sailing and classes for just about every type of sailor and personality.  Enjoy.


Edited by Cirrus - 25 Jan 17 at 2:53pm