HALO (and 'Fire') ....

Commercial involvement  ?

Obviously a desperately major and really serious  problem for some even when signed with ‘real names’  ....  unless you pay for the right is that ?  Well let’s clear the air and make things as transparent as possible.    Just let’s all do it guys !

I will not post any Blaze event comments in the future on this site.  I’ve spoken to the CA today and despite their reticence they will be recruiting a prominent owner to champion the class here on their behalf from amongst the paid up membership.  They will undergo a full medical to check on their depth of skin status first plus be equipped with a full Chobham armoured wetsuit before entering the ‘bear pit’ that this forum sometimes imitates.    I am very happy indeed to return to occasional ‘lurker’ status and only to rarely post when correcting  the most blatant inaccuracies  promulgated here with regard to boat specifications or Cirrus !

Icon was mentioned a few posts back...   This is now a Rondar project, and they are making an absolutely smashing job of their new version.   They will be marketing the boat.  They DO pay for banner advertising of course and I know when the time is right will naturally promote the boat with real vigour both in N.America ... and here in UK/Europe.   We/they have NOT canvassed for opinion on any aspect of the revised specification on this or any other social media platform this time round.  In fact the exact opposite ....

Anyway now I won’t be posting anything that could be remotely  construed as relating to MY commercial involvement  ... I suppose I am still free to comment on other issues or boats where I don’t have any commercial  involvement, including several  that I’ve recently sailed ? 

Now is that OK ?   Good to clear the air occasionally I find. 

Mike L.

Edited by blaze720 - 13 Apr 15 at 10:32am

Oh dearie me .... Yes I build the Blaze.  For the record I was a regular owner for many years before I got any commercial involvement, served two longish terms as class secretary including setting it up when the class association was first launched in 1996.    This 'owner' involvement, prior to taking on production when Topper dropped production of the boat, was for considerably longer than any subsequent commercial involvement.  I pay my CA dues, still regularly race the boat alongside other association members and will continue to do so, including this weekend when we enjoyed some great racing in some tough conditons at Burghfield.  You should have been there ... really.

I am not on the current committee in any capacity but they do ask me to highlight events occasionally on this forum.  Why me ?  Well frankly they simply don't want the hassle of 'engagement' that seems to come with any involvement here these days (prior experiences !) and for some reason think I have a tough enough hide to deal with it !    We could create another 'alter ego' or identity for the purpose but what the heck .... I very happy to help and always put my own name on each contribution .... just so you know.

And the next Blaze CA supported event is I think at POSH .... See a few of you there maybe ?

Mike L.

Originally posted by Xpletive Originally posted by Null ........using the forum as a marketing tool. Been promoting the Icon free on here for years too! Must save a fortune! Maybe he'll pass it on...trickle down economics and all that....cheaper sails on both classes or something?

Yup, they are down to 3 grand, thanks to the lack of paid advertising...

Originally posted by Null ........using the forum as a marketing tool.

Don't disagree with that Rupert, always interested in the rig updates or any dinghy 'development'. But the retailer pumping demo days and scrolling back through this thread 'bumping it up' and replying to own posts is using the forum as a marketing tool.  Which I don't have a problem with, but I don't see any other advertising on this website, advertising that is needed to fund, advertising that's needed to pay to host this and the class pr, event write ups etc.  So (without trying to be the self proclaimed forum police) if there was no commercial interest then I would say crack on if people are replying and interested.  Sadly there is an interest and as such the posts will always be weighted that way.  Do we really want every builder watering down what little content there is on here with notification of an open event?  I suggest not.  Please post away with rig updates or true development, but if you are gonna try and use the forum with a hidden commercial undertone, I would expect to be called on it.