GRF's rig school

Originally posted by Enoch Group hug >----------------O-----------------<

 

+1

come on now, feel the love

Originally posted by Merlinboy Tim as i have said to Rodney in a PM the arrogant comment was not meant to be directed at either of you two, I'm sorry if i hadn't narrowed it down enough. Your above post is great and thats really the kind of content i personally like to read on an Internet forum.  I like to hear about your experiences, your grumbles and developments.   I also like to hear from the builders/distributors on new developments, ideas etc. I hate to say it but the whole D-one thing has been mistreated and an absolutely catastrophic PR exercise, they should of run it exactly like RS have.  Let the thread grow organically and develop and just pop in with small snippets of updates etc. Perhaps i should retract my previous thread as i did not mean to insult anyone.   Russ

Russ,

Retracting the posting on this thread changes nothing!  In fact I think that the posting I am quoting is yet another attack and any reference to a PM between you and me was inappropriate as it was, after all, a PM!  You know that I feel personally insulted but so does Luca and also all those who have taken the step to buy a D-One, TIMG for example.  I personally think that you crossed the line on this one but then I have learned that this is one of the traits of forums. 

As this is likely to be my last posting I will do my best to make my position clear.  I had never been involved in forums until the D-One thread was started here and only started posting when the D-One was under severe attack. The severity of these attacks over several months is way beyond my understanding.

The D-One is an outstanding and highly innovative new dinghy which I sincerely believe will pave the way for future developments in the years to come.  The attacks have been constant with the word ugly coming into play on a regular basis. The fact is that for the few who say the boat is ugly here there are many more around the world who's opinions differ but the seed has been purposely sewn as this clever criticism is purely subjective.  The fact is that I, along with a host of other people, love the look of the D-One.  More important is that fact that the D-One rates as being one of the finest dinghies I have ever sailed, don't just taken my word on this but read the reviews or talk to the people who have sailed a D-One.

The D-One is Luca's baby and he has been passionate about the boat to the point where his investment in the project has been huge with not hours but accumulated months of input going into getting as close to the perfect boat as possible.  Interestingly all of the people who have criticised this or that about the D-One have, ipso facto, been critical of one of the top dinghy designers around and also some of the best sailors in the world who have input time and experience into the project.  The fact is that it is easy to criticise and I am sure that once I have done this posting I will re-read it for the umpteenth time and criticise it again.

Are the cheap shots at the D-One done just for fun?  If so I think it a very sad world where people get their kicks from try to destroy, from their keyboards, the result of two years hard work, from a team of dedicated people.  I am a newbie here and as such have been trying to understand the rules but it seems that if anyone either involved in the D-One project or, worse still, even likes the boat is accused of viral marketing (whatever that is?).  So, I think that some of the people posting here are looking to be critical and rude about us (Luca and his development team, the designer of the D-One, TIMG and others who have bought or ordered a boat, the press and me) both implicitly and explicitly with no attempt to understand the boat, the rig or the concepts behind it.  We have tried our best to clarify the issues that make the D-One such a fantastic boat but every effort has been thwarted through clever and sometimes articulate responses which I now believe were intended for just one purpose, to wind us up!

I have seen racism and character assassination on the threads and am amazed that the moderators have tolerated this.  Potential defamatory comments and racism should not happen anywhere but I am further amazed that the sport of sailing, my love for the past 37 years, comes to this.  Call me naive but I have always thought of all those who sail as friends as we share a common passion and I have never, yes I mean never, been critical of anyone's choice of boat.  Different classes fit different peoples budgets, aspiration, age, size, levels of fitness and sailing waters so it would be arrogant of me to find fault in their choice.

Luca Devoti is a visionary and through launching the D-One he has opened up a new world for a whole bunch of people who want the fun and excitement of a single handed, high performance asymmetric without the need to be an acrobat or athlete.  Of course he is passionate about the D-One and that's not surprising given his investment in the project and the amount of work that he and his chosen team of people have put into getting, as near as possible, the perfect boat to market.

Now it's over to all you people out there to be rude, critical, racist or whatever without response because I will not get dragged through the depths any more.  In short, I have had enough!

Rodney

Oi I'm not arrogant.

The USP's for me were personal, as they should be for all of you for whatever boat you choose.

My personal circumstances were I wanted a single handed RS400, big fast, fun, something I could race in the handicap evening events at my home club QM.

A boat big enough to challenge me, my weight and height, hiking as all my successes in the past have been single handed hiking.

I will sail the RS400 for my big fleet buzz.

I knew nothing about the plan for "different" racing, TBH I am looking forward to trying it....but that was not a USP for me....I've never bothered going to Garda in the RS's perhaps I will one day.

Serously this forum has amazed me, where did you guys start hating each other, it's mental.

It has also taken the edge off the excitement a bit, although that always changes when I go out for a sail....so that is what I am going to do.

I won't be getting involved here, it's just too mental, certainly not what sailing is all about.

Even though TurnTurtle mentions that we should be allowed to be enthusiastic about our boats, it would appear that it can only be true as long as you don't talk about a D-One.

It's probably my own fault for not being able to get the measure of any of these posts, but there you go.

So that said, I'm off to do a lot of D-One sailing, quite a fair bit of RS400 circuit and I will try and do a few of the handicap events where I hope that you all come and say hello.

Cheers

Timg

Originally posted by Merlinboy Jesus this threads going nowhere fast! If the sailors on the D-one circuit are as arrogant and as friendly as this i will stick with the friendly RS circuit thanks!  At least if you criticise the 100 RS will give you the rationale behind the idea, not just belittle you by basically saying I'm Luca Devoti! Luca seriously pal, the D-one is without doubt a fine ship (looks apart) and will no doubt build up a fine international following.  Lets draw a line in the sand here, what are the D-Ones USP's? what makes it worth the £10-£12k it would cost me to buy one?

Gym?

Why would anyone need to visit a gym?

I've spent my entire life in gyms.

I'm fit as a butchers dog, but getting on a bit now, so decided to 'retire' to
cushy dinghy sailing, now why would i want to go back to all that
training.

Windsurfer = 10X fitness of Dinghy Sailor.

And Finn Sailors?

They always told me they were the Pussies of sailing, overweight, out of
condition older guys...
Spend their time tooling around on pussy lakes like Garda...
Need floppy rigs cos they couldn't hold the power.

Edited by G.R.F.

might have to charge you guys for using quite a few ideas of mine all
around .......anyhow do not forget that i have supplied enough electrical
energy to london already...if you sill havent seen the light ....good luck