29er GBR 074 Tynemouth |
Laurent Giles 'Jolly Boat' Exeter |
J24 (Sail No. 4239) Dartmouth |
List classes of boat for sale |
Grafham D-Zero Demo Day |
Post Reply | Page <1 56789 11> |
Author | ||
kneewrecker
Really should get out more Joined: 09 Apr 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1586 |
Post Options
Quote Reply
Topic: Grafham D-Zero Demo Day Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 9:55am |
|
Given the amount of DNCs on a typical club series, I think it's fair to assume most folks couldn't give a f**k for their club series results. They do however care for their individual result on any given race, and as such, are grateful for the efforts of the results compiler and entitled to their views about classes which have seen rapid development and a lag factor in the PN allocation. Do I think that 1010 will turn out to be a challenging handicap for the Aero and/or Zero? Absolutely, that's exactly why the Great Lakes scheme have settled on it and as such, it meets their objectives. Give them a year or two, when they actually have some RYA data to throw in to the mix and it could well soften, or maybe not. The RYA encourage local adjustment, which is exactly what the Great Lakes numbers do. But don't fall in to the trap of assuming that local adjustment is purely to create fairer racing. It can also be used to load the dice for whatever reason including commercial and political reasoning- in this case, to prevent a new class from walking away with the chocolates, irrespective of the person steering. Why? i don't know really, in any other walk of life, showcasing a new product within an event framework also out for recognition for its sponsors tends to be mutually beneficial. You certainly don't go to the Geneva Motor Show to see the same old dross from Ford and Vauxhall. However, if you don't like that, and their reasons for it, then you are quite within your rights to not attend and go to another event. As Rodney says, the Lord Birkett has settled on 1044 for this year, so there are other events out there which have a more realistic approach to the actual anticipated performance, rather than a deliberate attempt to ensure it is not that competitive.
Edited by kneewrecker - 03 Jul 14 at 10:03am |
||
iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 10:01am | |
I wouldn't mind if the 'chocolates' were even worth protecting, but it's hardly a 50,000 dollar prize fund is it? What are the Sail juice lot protecting? A few deals with lipstick builders? What is it? It makes no sense?
The Laser thing does at least have some logic in the numbers being swelled by dragging boats out of the nettles getting bums on gunwales. |
||
kneewrecker
Really should get out more Joined: 09 Apr 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1586 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 10:27am | |
Actually it makes total sense- one of those difficult decisions that's not going to be universally popular. Dinghy racing is in decline. The RYA stats are in denial. There are less people travelling to class events, and this year, my gut instinct says there are less people participating regularly at club level racing too. I have only looked at the results of one or two clubs recently, but it seems to be the trend I can see. The reasons for that are probably for another thread- I personally blame the economy, windguru and social media. But I'm realistic enough to know those genies smashed their bottles on their way out and on a personal level, there's no way I'm leaving a ten grand boat sitting on the drive at the whims and indecision of a Facebook group deciding whether an event is on or not. My free time is too precious.... Sail Juice offers a platform for us to fit in some pre-planned sailing into that free time, assuring us that there will be sufficient numbers to justify the running of the event. In order to do this, they adopt a conservative approach when it comes to new boats and gear the handicapping accordingly to encourage those with older boats to come along. As a result, traditional classes do seemingly benefit. They also happen to have open sailmakers and peripherals, which as we know, leads to semi-pro and pro sailors in those classes championing their growth. Why some new boat builders launch without engaging that network of sailmakers I simply don't understand I guess the mark-up on a new rag is where the money is in the long term, so decimating your value chain vs increased market reach becomes a clinical decision- skewed by the success that is the Laser no doubt, but I'd say the rise of the Solo, Phantom, Contender, Int Moth in a falling domestic market etc would be better case studies for launching a new boat. As I said, if any of us don't like that they gear the handicapping such to swell participation, then we are quite free to sail elsewhere at other events. Edited by kneewrecker - 03 Jul 14 at 10:32am |
||
JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 10:59am | |
Case of greatest good to the greatest number. If you guess a handicap that is unfavourable to a new class then only the tiny minority who sail that boat are disadvantaged. If you guess a handicap that is favourable to a new class then the vast majority of competitors in the event are unfairly treated. Therefore you should err on the unfavourable side.
|
||
Null
Really should get out more Joined: 11 May 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 745 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 11:09am | |
Agree with Jim here and to be frank, i dont blame them. They simply cannot afford for a new class to rock up and win the event as regardless of the sailor. There will be uproar regarding the PY, so the boat is hamstrung to ensure it doesnt win. Please the masses not the few. i would do the same, and as a future Zero owner I wouldnt want to win an event in the early stages of class development. it would completely cheapen my result. Winning to me is defeating others, walking away with an inward smile safe in the knowledge that my best was the best. There is no glory winning on a piece of paper and trick of a calculator!
|
||
Blue One
Far too distracted from work Joined: 09 Nov 13 Online Status: Offline Posts: 317 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 11:24am | |
+1
|
||
kneewrecker
Really should get out more Joined: 09 Apr 14 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1586 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 11:37am | |
precisely... doing well (mid fleet) at 1010 would be far more satisfying than getting in the top 10 at 10** and having accusations of banditry thrown at you.
|
||
iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 12:57pm | |
Precisely why the sport is stymied, the lunatics running the asylum.
It can never grow with that sort of attitude.. Flagship events should showcase the future, not operate as an extreme Museum Makeover show. It's f**ked. |
||
alstorer
Really should get out more Joined: 02 Aug 07 Location: Cambridge Online Status: Offline Posts: 2899 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 1:21pm | |
Yet another PY argument? Really?
|
||
-_
Al |
||
Rupert
Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 14 at 1:30pm | |
Hardly anyone owns a boat from the future, so it is difficult to get anyone taking part in such an event. Maybe the point of these events to to get a large group of sailors together to have a fun day/weekend.
If you want an event showcasing the future, then you need a different approach, I think. Maybe each manufacturer supplies 10 boats which can be leased to competitors, and you then, say have 8 fleets (DZero, Aero 5, 7, 9, Icon, K2, 2 more new classes) with 80 boats on the water racing as 8 fleets of 10 for 1 1/2 days, with a giant all in race at the end where speeds can be compared. It could attract big sponsorship, be freebies for spectators, be broadcast on the interweb, have a grandstand. People would see the new product, there could be more boats there for taster sails - all in all, a grand weekend out both for competitors and for the companies trying to sell their boats. The 80 boats are sold during the event to be collected at the end. |
||
Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
|
||
Post Reply | Page <1 56789 11> |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |