Dinghy popularity

Hmmm, I don't know. In terms of material selection, ergonomics and attention to detail I think there are hardly any boats out there that are modern. In the 70's you were happy if your car didn't rust. Now you take it for granted they don't break down, you'll get 50+mpg and have a cup holder. Different orders of magnitude on volumes, I know, but designers have barely scratched the surface with moving on from the basics with boats.     

Compare the meercat.com.
Comparitively fewer young, fit, competent sailors with enough money and time (growing families?) seeking the challenge of fast, extreme assymetric designs; too much choice of classes; too many inland clubs not suited to such designs.
vs
comparatively more numerous older, active sailors, no longer able or interested in enjoying high speed thrills. Add in newcomers and those introducing their children to sailing . They are seeking close competition, often in stable boats suitable for restricted waters - but with a few honourable exceptions there have been such new designs in recent years.

Simples.

Fast new modern boats are great, but sometimes physics gets in the way and cocks things up.

I'm a well proportioned salad dodger with no mates, so basically theres only one boat I can sail that I have any chance of being slightly competitive in.

That design is over 40 years old, its modern materials but its still technically an old design. No point in me even thinking about one of the 'modern' single handed asymetric boats as it would need to be so windy for me to get on the wire it would be survival conditions!

Where else can i go?

Everyone is getting 'bigger', apparently, so maybe design needs to move into boats that carry weight better, maybe thats the problem, generally the 'new breed' are just too big to sail sleak moden designs, cant do it and give up?

If i want a thrill ride then i can wait till its blowing its tits off, crack out the Sputnik 270 and a handkerchief and will be 10p 50p for the whole of the 200yard dash and splash

state of the art international 14, from 1965:





state of the art i14 now:



who is saying designs haven't moved on?

As with most issues there are possibly several factors involved.

With a sport that's in decline and the remaining participants getting older maybe the older boats are going to get chosen more often.

Many of the older designs are ready for and need improvement. Add a few bits of carbon, stiffen up the hull, consistently hit the minimum weight, produce better sails and presto a potential bandit that with a carefully managed schedule of improvements can stay ahead of the PY system for several years........This factor does appeal to the minority but it does account for some peoples choices.

The Price and availability of some older classes?

Originally posted by craiggo     I think so many people end up calling time on sailing because they buy the wrong boat for the club they join. Partly its because they believe the piece of plastic they sailed off of a beach on their summer holiday constitutes a racing dinghy, and partly due to believing the sales patter. Oddly they often seem less inclined to believe genuine experienced dinghy sailors, WHY?

I'm not sure this is a significant factor. Most new adults I have seen tend to make sensible choices, those that don't probably wouldn't have stayed with the sport even if they had managed to curbed their boat buying enthusiasm.......

As to WHY some don't listen, this isn't a dig at anyone here but is an observation gleaned from many clubs:....... The type of adult that takes up sailing could be typified generally as self employed or employed at jobs with a certain level of personal responsibility/autonomy, adults with a reasonable level of life experience, adults with some spare cash who are capable of making choices and learning from their own mistakes. They ARE NOT going to make the Olympics, they just want some fun. They will ask for advice if they need it, those that ask will listen and then choose what they think is right. Unsolicited advice is generally never welcomed or listened to beyond a polite nod and smile. Information (as opposed to advice) about what is downright dangerous should always be passed on though when appropriate.......I was standing on the beach the other week, a chap who had done his 1 & 2 a couple of years ago said quietly "there's an awful lot of ****ing experts around here lately". I kept my gob shut but understood....I think this is More likely to put someone off than a wrong boat choice.
  

Edited by transient - 25 Jun 13 at 9:53am