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Ovington thingy..... |
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tick 
Far too distracted from work 
Joined: 16 Nov 12 Online Status: Offline Posts: 223 |
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 Topic: Ovington thingy.....Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 8:29am |
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Yes of course they are for the exclusive few who make it but why cant the young people have fun in a singlehander more suited to them than an ancient boat with a cut down rig? 76 29ers prove that they relish a lightweight double hander so why not provide a suitable single hander with the youth Olympics as a goal? Nothing is stopping some of them trying to advance themselves in lasers but that excludes normal size fit girls and lightweight boys.
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pondmonkey
Really should get out more 
Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 9:19am |
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Tick, I really don't mean any disrespect, I'm sure the C2 is lovely 'little' boat. But when I was 15/16 I wanted an adult's boat, one that the rest of my mates were sailing and one that had (in my opinion at the time) the absolute best sailors in the country racing them, or formerly champions in them.
That was the Laser. Granted I wouldn't want to sail one now, but at the time it was simply a fantastic boat, accessible but not ridiculous if you wanted the absolute best condition/latest gear one. Judging by the numbers going to the youth events in them now, they still consider them exceptional boats. I was in Weymouth windsurfing in Portland earlier this year and a swarm of them came sailing in from a training or circuit event or something. It was amazing to watch them and how they ALL hiked straight leg, reasonably inboard and using a lot more mainsheet than grunt to keep them flat. They seemed to have the boats really shifting- definitely more efficient than how I used to sail them. None of them looked like 'big teenagers' to my mind, so I did kind of have a lump in throat moment that got me re-assessing my own views on Lasers. At least someone, somewhere appears to be teaching these kids to hike in more conservative and ergonomic fashion, the massive advancements in hiking wear has made a notable difference too- they're almost mandatory, whereas when I was sailing it was only to the top-end of the youth squad using queensport 'aussie' neoprene hikers, the UK styled hikers from sail lofts were to those horrid strap on things, only acceptable to thin wooden decks like Mirrors and Oppies. This more modern style of sailing has probably then passed down and becomes the 'norm'- certainly at my last club the younger Laser sailors just sailed differently to old guys who 'power dropped' to their toes and hung on for grim death. I doubt this has been PSE stepping up with clear product usage advice, it's probably been the RYA/UKLA training programmes that's been responsible for the noticeable change in style over the past 20 years of Laser sailing.
Edited by pondmonkey - 20 Nov 12 at 9:27am |
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Kev M
Far too distracted from work
Joined: 05 Dec 11 Location: Landlocked Online Status: Offline Posts: 346 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 9:30am |
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You may have hit the nail on the head there James. When you were a youth you aspired to the (best) adults singlehander at the time, the Laser, and because there is no junior version you go for a Laser with a smaller rig. In double handers, the 49ers are the glamour boat and the teens have a 29er to be the vehicle for their aspirations. In that case, the teens might not get a proper single hander that is actually designed for them until the Laser is replaced at the Olympics with something else. Imagine if the Laser was replaced with the MPS, the junior equivalent might be that smaller, German thing we were all watching the video of the other week. |
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Successfully confusing ambition with ability since 1980.
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Telltale
Posting king 
Joined: 03 May 12 Location: Cardiff Online Status: Offline Posts: 169 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 9:43am |
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Quote:- "I think the GBR medal count from the last 3olympics tells us they are doing ok. " 2547 Yes, but it’s a very fragile thing, look how Olympic swimming went from great success to underperforming in 4 years, English rugby from World cup to also rans. In 2016 the laser rig will be 45 years old !! By all means keep the good things, but lets be pragmatic and sort out the bad. By putting a modern rig, 'byte like' on a laser and cutting the corners of it might well give it another 45 years. The sport definatly needs a
cool, up to date single hander for kids ! Edited by Telltale - 20 Nov 12 at 9:47am |
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pondmonkey
Really should get out more
Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 9:45am |
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That's very true Kev, if the MPS was in play at the Olympics it would inevitably mean that some kids would change their aspiration goals- it's probably the reason why the lightskiff is still even in discussion, as quite frankly I can't believe there's a real commercially viable market for it.
But the MPS is not in the Olympics, so maybe it only picks up a natural and healthy amount of youth interest, which is demonstrable through their class surveys that shows average age dropping- if I were managing the class I would be dead happy with this result and wouldn't want 'boom' or 'bust' Olympic status... no one sails 470s or RS:Xs or Stars at club level, and if you've ever sailed a Finn you'll just be frustrated that it isn't more popular for us plebs, by far the nicest singlehander I've ever had the pleasure to sail (and I only got an hour in one!)
I guess if GBR kids don't aspire to the youth pathway at least they do have options now- RS300s and 600s are similar cash to a good Laser. There's also early foilers for similar money and if you can push it a bit further, then the RS100 and Musto Skiff cheaper end are still less than a new Laser. 20 years ago the only real comparative option financially was a complete shed of a Contender... and not many 16 year olds wanted the maintenance issues of a wooden tank with a bent aluminium mast and patched up toilet paper sail. |
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iGRF
Really should get out more
Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6499 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 9:58am |
Granted not many Stars get sailed at club level, but we sail 470's and RSX's the 470 is an excellent boat if you still want to sail old kite in bag style, it handles the sea very well and I've often wondered why it's not as popular as some of the other dross you folk still persist in littering up the water with like fireballs and merlins. The RSX isn't a nice thing but it is at least an example of a race device that is affordable second hand now thanks to squad cast offs, there are probably more rigs around than boards since they can be used to drive long boards. On that subject why not just take a C2 rig and plug it into a Laser, I don't see much of that sort of thing going on in dinghys either, if the rig is crap just switch it for another, it's what we do all the time with boards. |
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tick
Far too distracted from work
Joined: 16 Nov 12 Online Status: Offline Posts: 223 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 10:06am |
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Ah,ha! Now were getting somewhere "telltale and Kev". Byte inlands at Cardiff again next year. Get yourself a boat and come on down. I have to go on a speed awareness course now. I presume it will be 2hrs of someone patronising me when I have has been driving for 50 years. I must try not to get done again on the way! Rock on!
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pondmonkey
Really should get out more
Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 10:28am |
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Speed Awareness Workshop... opening line: 'So why do you think you're here'
answer 1: because I was caught speeding, der??? answer 2: because I don't want another 3 points on my licence answer 3: because the automated policing system that caught me doing 36 in a 30 and issued me a fine and this workshop, didn't realise I was absolutely ar**holed on brandy and babycham. answer 4: So you mean this isn't Weight Watchers?
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JimC
Really should get out more
Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 10:35am |
A green tinge is good in sausages: it means they've got herbs in, which in turn means they count as one of your Five-a-day*. JimC *warning: this is a sailing forum, any health advice given may be, well, now I think of it, just as untrustworthy as that on the average health forum... |
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Rupert
Really should get out more
Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
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Posted: 20 Nov 12 at 10:41am |
I went to one about 4 years ago, and yes, it is very hard just to agree with everything they say, and give the "right" answers, rather than sarcastic ones (like, "yes, of course it was dangerous, driving at 46 mph on an empty dual carrigeway..."). But I did learn some interesting facts - all of which I have now forgotten. |
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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