Boat Tests

Hi there G Minor!
Spot on. There really ought to be some rules about this- certainly I'd not want testers from deep within the industry. But even if you allowed a cranky old grump to run the test, you have to ask if it will ever get published. As I proved to my cost, rocking the boat (even if it is only telling it as it is) just won't happen in this modern media era.
Then there is the nature of the test. Our weather being what it is, you could have a flat calm or a raging blast - does this make the test meaningful - no more than if it was a nice sunny F4, for what does that tell us about a boat (other than you'll get good pictures).

No - the way to do this is to put a new design out into the real world for 3 months minimum, then get a report on what it is like actually living with the boat - all those little niggles that only surface when you've owned it for a while. Crucially, much of the time needs to be spent in that club environment, for it is there that you can judge your performance - compared to where you'd be when sailing your own boat. That way, there isn't someone from the builders there to rig and derig, help you launch, sort out any problems.....and then you can answer the $64,000 question - would you buy one!

You're right - none of this is rocket science...but I bet it won't happen!

D

Many manufacturers seem to have boats around for demo purposes. Perhaps those who sail them for demos should be encouraged/obliged to write something up afterwards. Somehow you then need to get that compiled and published, and with no vetoing by the manufacture. You could get some quite useful reports that way.

Anyone who bought a Bull because that test said it was that much faster than a Melges 24, J/80 and Farr/Platu 25  would probably be very, very disappointed.  The Bull's a great boat but experience seems to indicate that it's not in the league of the straight racing machines.

Edited by Chris 249 - 28 May 15 at 1:06pm

If the stats you get are misleading, then that is surely worse than not having them at all. Looks pretty in a pie chart, but that is about all.

For me, a boat test should give an impression of what a person thought of a boat to sail (hopefully in a variety of conditions and maybe in different sailing waters, but this is unlikely), what market the boat is aimed at and contain some pretty pictures to make me think about actually going for a test sail myself in the boat. If someone who's views I respect tells me about their experiences with a boat, then I can make a judgement call as to whether the boat MAY be for me. Past that, I can then make decisions for myself.

Trouble is, when all boat tests are peaches and cream, lacking in the nitty gritty of real life, it is very difficult to make the 1st decision as to whether the boat is worth test sailing at all. After all, I'd not want to waste my time and that of a boat owner or even salesman if the boat simply isn't what I'm looking for, but the bland write up didn't make that clear. "You'll piss it in on the gybes unless you happen to be world class", or "You'll need big guns to hold the mainsheet upwind" are 2 comments I never read about certain boats which shall remain nameless.

Surely in this day of social media, it is easy to do a review that is independent of advertising revenue? Just stick one on FB or something. The difficulty is convincing everyone that such review has credibility and isn't astroturfing or from someone with little of idea of what's what.