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Class proliferation... |
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Chris 249
Really should get out more Joined: 10 May 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2041 |
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Topic: Class proliferation... Posted: 14 Feb 19 at 8:38pm |
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Precisely. You don't get to the end of a cycling race and find out that your Merida has a different handicap to your mate's Giant, nor does cycling allow the equivalent of a Moth, skiff or Aero to compete.
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sailcraftblog.wordpress.com
The history and design of the racing dinghy. |
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DiscoBall
Far too distracted from work Joined: 03 Jan 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 305 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 19 at 8:45pm | |
I guess the key word is 'their' rather than 'the'?
The Laser and Topper probably have added new people to the sport but I'd question that the other classes have done much more than move people around within it (perhaps to the detriment of classes that already existed). And given we all set such store by fleet sizes... Ultimately it always seems (on forums or from the missives of World Sailing) that the only possible solution must be a technical one, but IMO Stonefish's post is much closer to the truth - the sport isn't great at welcoming and guiding people in their early steps. |
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Do Different
Really should get out more Joined: 26 Jan 12 Location: North Online Status: Offline Posts: 1312 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 19 at 8:53pm | |
By far most of the preceding comments have a lot of truth in them.
However. The view of the landscape can also vary hugely depending on your point of view. Yes quite probably to the eyes of keen racers there are too many classes to support in the current climate of reduced participation in sailing. For keen sailors, tinkerers and experimenters perhaps the number is just right with many old and not so old to choose from and every new idea eagerly anticipated.
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Rupert
Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 19 at 9:33pm | |
Saw the Maverick (the new play boat from Fusion) at the RYA principals' conference at the weekend. They are trying something a bit different (though Jo Richards had the same idea 30 years ago) in producing a multi use platform designed to simply be fun. I'll take bets that if it catches on, people will start racing them. Is this unnecessary proliferation or a new idea that might reinvigorate a section of the market? Closest I see to it is the Topper in the 70s, though I suspect that felt more radical.
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Cirrus
Really should get out more Joined: 29 Oct 15 Location: UK Online Status: Offline Posts: 590 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 19 at 9:37pm | |
Put as simply as possible - the 'model' for racng small boats has changed. Today handicap racing in various guises is the norm at many clubs for sure ... but classes still have plenty of 'purist' opens and both Inland and National championships available each year. Fleet racing at club level is mourned by a few but it had a tendency to get very repetitive - same people, same courses, same location - a very standard pecking order quickly emerged and especially if the boat was not that much fun or easily accessible simply to sail or race the experience could quickly become boring for the typical 'mid-fleeter'. Those keen to turn the clock back too often want to re-impose the 'adopted class' rules .. rather than working to get more involved and into any sort of boatin the first place. Class tribalism and a selective memory harking back to a 'golden age' does not help ... If you want to bring new bloood into racing concentrate on making things more enjoyable at club level. 'Socials' back in the day were more a real recruiter than anything else and many more boats were suitable for grabbing a spare (newbie) person when regular crews occasionally did not turn up... Many an adult or kid learnt that sailing could actually be fun and sailing clubs were good socially as well and were hooked. So maybe more and 'better' socials and more 2 crew boats and 'fun' however you define it... plus adults as well as kids involved. Get these basics right and then they may even race !! The argument for 'what' should any newcomer should race is way way down list of newbie drivers in reality.
Edited by Cirrus - 14 Feb 19 at 9:39pm |
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Chris 249
Really should get out more Joined: 10 May 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2041 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 19 at 9:47pm | |
From my experience, yes the driver for change in development classes often comes from within. I was referring more to the many people who sit on forums or at sailing club bars and dinghy parks and call for the Laser to adopt a new rig, for the Tasar to get a carbon pole mast, the Windsurfer class to die, etc. I think those people are the same as the ones who tell you what to do at the Sailboat show!
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sailcraftblog.wordpress.com
The history and design of the racing dinghy. |
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Rupert
Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Feb 19 at 8:25am | |
Cirrus, you complain about people harking back to a golden age, then do it yourself by saying how good socials were back then, and how so many people got into sailing by hitching a ride. My memory involves seeing people driving home drunk and being warned about crewing for certain people as they were either crap (the better option) or (usually sugar coated) abusive.
My memory also serves up great parties and amazing races in some very diverse boats with exceptionally good sailors, but it wasn't the perfect way into sailing by any means. |
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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423zero
Really should get out more Joined: 08 Jan 15 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3406 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Feb 19 at 10:47am | |
Not one mention of Mirror group news ? The Mirror, Miracle and Mirror 14/16, perhaps a similar combination of a national newspaper and useable boats ?
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Peter Barton
Posting king Joined: 10 Oct 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 129 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Feb 19 at 12:34pm | |
I would challenge that regards the RS Aero. - A significant demographic of RS Aero take up is sailors returning to the sport after a break (career, kids...) who were motivated to do so with the RS Aero's performance/reward and lightness but would not have bought back into the previous heavier options. - Many smaller sailors (small ladies and youths in particular) would not be able to pull a heavier boat up a steep slipway singlehanded or manhandle it ashore and the RS Aero provides a viable option for them.
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Fatboi
Posting king Joined: 09 Aug 16 Location: Hampshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 189 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 15 Feb 19 at 1:29pm | |
To me, sailing is starting to get a bit silly with pricing.
If you are not bought in to it and start looking at new boats, or if you have got bitten by the bug and then want to start getting competitive and racing want to upgrade to a new boat then it is a huge sum of money! RS Aero, nearly £10k Laser - £6k OK - £10k Solo - £9k Double handed it is crazy - a new RS200 is £13k!!! and Race Feva £6k. Yes, you can pick up cheaper 2nd hand boats for much less but without the expertise to upgrade them into working machines, I often find they don't work as they should and don't feel like the real specimen and are harder to sail as not set up nicely. This is enough to put me off borrowing old boats, but to a beginner they would feel this is normal and the sensation you get from having a well balanced, well set up boat would not exist!
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