RS400 proposed changes

Not at all for 'sales figures', this was the CA taking it to LDC not the other way around. LDC needed persuasion that the boat needed updating. 

The mainsail is not too big either, if you set it up right, the 400 has one of the most broad weight ranges of the dinghies out there. If you found it "heavy on the hands" you are clearly not sailing it correctly.

i noticed someone mentioned the mast.........in an ideal world it would be carbon etc, but there is only so much you can change at one time. a carbon rig is a massive performance change at a large cost and asking 1000 boats to switch is too much. In an ideal world this would have been considered 17 years ago, but instead the boat was designed as it was, which proved to be very successful. The issue is, that the boat is looking VERY dated with sailcloth chunky bits of scaffolding etc. It was believed that it needed bringing into the 21st century and this is what has been proposed. 

Obviously the main objective is to get numbers to events. currently the boat is getting 20ish boats to opens, if the class can get ten more then im sure it will gain momentum. it is by no means a dying class, but does have the potential to be in a few years if things arent changed. whether the proposals will do this is another matter.

 

Not great videos but gives some idea.

(except if it splinters when it smacks into the deck strut in front the mast!)

 

Only cure for what you describe so eloquently is either superhuman crew (as an upgrade to 'long suffering') or a nice long kite sock as per RS800. Doesn't have the image factor of a carbon protruberance though, does it!

I think we are allowed a bit of bungie to do the 'throw it up the pointy end' bit?