DINGHY SHOW - photos

Grf, the phantom may have modernised in the rig and sail choice but it never changed the weight of the boat, that was always 61kgs.

When either trade unions or the management get too strong, things start to go wrong - same applies in the case of dinghies - the builder needs to listen to the people who already own the boat, but at the same time the owners have to understand that to attract new owners in the face of a changed market, it may be neccessary to make changes. Rather than a "No", CA's will often provide informed feedback to a builder as to what works and what doesn't. The Blaze class has been exceptionally good at this from what I have seen from the outside. Many CA's don't see that there is a problem until it is too late, though, and the class has gone past the point of return, and there are builders who have changed too much, and not only lost the current sailors, but failed to attract new ones.

Looking back in history, the Minisail is a good example of this, having gone from 50+ nats attendances to vanished off the face of the earth in just a few short years. The internet has helped gather a few enthusiasts together, but if classes want to be more than that, then both builders and CA's need to look at the lessons from history.

I was only trying to help the fella with some commercial logic, I know commercial logic and class associations never mix, I learned that the day my first class voted against my silly suggestion that windsurf boards should be permitted to be raced with footstraps..

However here goes, instead of that super tanker, they build it lighter, very light if they can, so me and my crew could actually lift it. It is then recognised as new lighter therefore perceived as faster, even though if you read Medway Maniacs accurate description it probably isn't that much faster across the entire wind range, owners of old boats would then sell theirs 2nd hand, thereby attracting new comers and the class grows, do you think the Phantom class would have grown the size it is today had they not modernised their boat?

Class Associations would always be screwed at every turn, they serve no purpose other than to protect their own selfish interest, the best analogy? Trade Unions..

Thank you Peaky for uploading a picture of the modern Flying Ant. I think the best way to understand the boat is to google the original flying ant class from Australia and imagine it with  a modern asymmetric  rig.  I do hope it takes off and we can challenge the heavy, slow experience of the feva.

I liked sailing the Buzz when I crewed one years ago - even did a Nationals. Nothing at all like sailing a 29er, either in the social scene (which involved partying with people old enough to drink) or in the way the boat sails. The hull might be "old fashioned" compared to the Bethwaite wonder designs, but it was more user friendly as far as I was concerned.

Having said that, I'd have taken the opportunity to change a few things to attract new sailors, not just current and past ones, and I'd have hoped that current sailors would understand that the odd update (especially ones which can be put on to old hulls) is a way to keep the class going.