2020 Dinghy Show

Perhaps Andy has the solution in his initial post.

Scrub the show and spend the money saved on a " show" website with tech info,training sessions and promotion of each class

Originally posted by Rupert Crystal Palace was a dreadful place, but I loved the feel of the show when it was there. Very amateur!

I went to buy an Iso ( yes really), luckily I turned into the squash courts and bought my third Fireball. It was amateur but it was vibrant

Nobody has sent me any general details about the show this year, but please tell me there wont be someone doing a talk about boat rigging, how to be an Olympic star and the story about sailing something surprising to Scandinavia- like it is every year

It needs someone competent ( igrf?) to market it properly

Originally posted by davidyacht I won’t be there because I shall be going sailing, but I could quite happily listen to Mark Rushall’s talk on tactics, an Olympic Trainer talk on fitness, a meteorologist talk on weather forecasting, and Mike Mac do his legendary rig tuning talk ... that’s four hours, leaving little time to look at boats, have a beer and catch up with mates!

So would I, but after hearing it twice, I will join you in going sailing instead. Me not going, who cares. But someone of your status going sailing instead perhaps suggests a different direction could be useful?

Along with loads of other people not going

How abou a south coast and a northern event every 4 or 5 years to reach some different people?

Edited by ian.r.mcdonald - 18 Feb 20 at 9:29pm

My club ( along with many others) used to organise a coach down.

I have been to 15 plus and enjoyed most of them.A lot of the talks have been good, but it's a largely fixed market and rolling out similar or the same each year and hoping people wont notice doesnt work. My memory is bad but not that bad!

The internet has removed the incentive of going to the show to get a deal on kit.

I have now joined the masses that dont go.

If criticising the existing show and suggesting improvements so that future sailors can get the same enjoyment I did is negative, then fine.

I am going sailing!

Edited by ian.r.mcdonald - 18 Feb 20 at 9:45pm

I think the 2.5 million number might be a bit optimistic. Even if you add all other sailing (yacht racing/cruising & dinghy cruising) you only get to 1.3m.

'Small sailboat racing' only accounts for ~205,000 and as this is the major target audience of the show the attendance numbers don't seem that bad (given that the Dinghy Show always feels a bit like groundhog day anyway...).

https://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/sportsdevelopment/2017-watersports-study-final-summary.pdf