50S

If I was independently wealthy the 505 would be one of the first boats I would be going to buy. Sailed one as a kid and if a 420 is a hot hatch, the 470 is a decent saloon the 505 is a luxury saloon to sail. I was a massive fan when I sailed one as 420 kid. Fantastic boat sailed in fantastic venues. The alto is frankly a joke in comparison.

Originally posted by Sailerf Was the article written by Dougal dog Henshall ?

Edited by Grumpycat - 13 Mar 22 at 8:13am

Originally posted by Dougaldog daubed on the wall in International Graphspeed

Wasn't Graphspeed from Helmsman paints as in Lady Helmsman? My recollection is the trick coloured paint from International was the pink "smoothy".

The thing is the luddite world that is the dinghy establishment, never wanted the change that came about with the assym, I won't call it revolution, let's say style, that happened when, late nineties was it?(I wouldn't really know, in the nineties I certainly wasn't ready to become a dinghy sailor waiting to die). Obviously as I said earlier I knew about 505s, and what I regarded as 'grown ups' who had to sail them because they were not able to do the real thing, which iof course was windsurfing.

So it (Assym style) was tolerated until it went away as they all hoped and worked toward, was never really a likely option for puddle life, which I've now become increasingly aware is by far the beating heart and driving force of dinghy racing. Even the bigger inland waters where Assyms had a prayer don't really appear to have delivered success for an everyman Assym performance class.

Meanwhile classes like the 505 and the Merlin that still continue to offer that magic of dead cat development, with extra bits of string, lower mast rams and ever more expensive shore side peeing contests, to the independantly wealthy, which of course keeps any talented low lifes at bay for fear they might give actual competition and you have... What was it that quote? The quickest way to go broke, to chase an increasing market share in a declining market, like the man in the movie said, "by the time the buggy whip reached the final stage of it's evolution you can bet there was no more refined a tool", but regretably of little use, because the market went away and that's where you're headed, since my rules from back in that other thread about the man with his time on the water and disposable income are being broken.

Sure the 505 is still a remarkable tool, but with the caveat you have to be well enough heeled and versed in how to pull all that copious string and operate those rams, when really the world can't be bothered with all that.

The Alto on the other hand offered I would say 90% of the efficiency of the 505 and if you took away the demand for the dead run, then a 505 is in real trouble, but without the string and the rams. Just lighter, with a one string kite, you can take newbies and give them the sensation of the 3 sail reach, can't say I've ever noticed women riding 50's, I could be wrong but can't say I've ever come across it, and I can't imagine they'd be premitted in the drunkards class, hope I'm wrong, but again can't say I've ever picked up on it. (Not that I even care), but I did notice girls racing Alto's during the odd occasion I ventured out with it and the relatively short time it was about before being crushed by the establishment as all pretenders are.

The truth is it never even really got to the pinnacle of it's potential, the rig never really got fully developed the kite delivery system had issues, the wing wang pole didn't get taken seriously which was a mistake given it was imv one of the best features of the boat, but in the relatively short period I had with it, it delivered far more fun than a 505 would ever have, purely because it was going forward whereas the 505 was already there and had nowhere to go.

A great shame and a great opportunity missed, nothing luddite dinghy world likes more than halting anything that could be fun in its tracks.

Edited by iGRF - 13 Mar 22 at 7:50pm

No one killed the Alto.

Edited by Grumpycat - 13 Mar 22 at 8:03pm