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List classes of boat for sale |
Solo changes survey |
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ian.r.mcdonald
Far too distracted from work Joined: 24 Feb 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 440 |
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Topic: Solo changes survey Posted: 08 Sep 19 at 5:41pm |
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With the centreboard capping " coffee table" possibly to be removed on the new Solo, I noticed how much I use it downwind in light winds. And that is from the front third of a handicap fleet. The unavoidable fact is that the majority of the Solo fleet has enjoyed wearing their knees out so the shallow cockpit boats and kneeling whilst sailing is not a great option.
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maxibuddah
Really should get out more Joined: 06 Mar 09 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1760 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 08 Sep 19 at 6:58pm | |
Don't ever seem to have an issue with the outhaul on my phantom david. Cost is certainly an issue. On P&B the SS ali boom is £172 and the Phantom carbon SS is £580. Mast wise, the Solo tapered is £707 whereas the Phantom cheapest is £1700. Bearing those sorts of costs in mind, what is the point of change? You ain't going to magic up a huge performance increase that is justified by that sort of price increase.
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Everything I say is my opinion, honest
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ian.r.mcdonald
Far too distracted from work Joined: 24 Feb 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 440 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 08 Sep 19 at 7:02pm | |
The point seems to be : chase some younger new buyers and sell more new boats. The downside seems to be that in this chase you compromise your existing owners.
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maxibuddah
Really should get out more Joined: 06 Mar 09 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1760 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 08 Sep 19 at 7:35pm | |
balancing act of course, but to be fair the existing boat seems to collect the middle-aged as well as the older sailors. The danger as you say is chasing the younger sailors and in so-doing alienating the older ones. I'm afraid to say that the Solo is never going to be sexy, not matter how much lipstick you apply to it so why not stick with its usp and keep going with the 40+ demographic which seems to be working quite nicely as it is.
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Everything I say is my opinion, honest
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Sam.Spoons
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 12 Location: Manchester UK Online Status: Offline Posts: 3398 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 08 Sep 19 at 8:55pm | |
I'd be reluctant to change anything significant on the second most popular singlehander in the UK
Edited by Sam.Spoons - 08 Sep 19 at 8:55pm |
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Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
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JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 08 Sep 19 at 9:39pm | |
As its a survey the point would seem to be to ask the membership what they think. Fairly silly not to put everything you can think might come up in a survey, even if you think it very unlikely the membership would be enthused. Saves a lot of time if every time someone says, "you really need to have x" you can say "actually we asked the class membership and got a resounding no". Edited by JimC - 08 Sep 19 at 9:48pm |
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ian.r.mcdonald
Far too distracted from work Joined: 24 Feb 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 440 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 08 Sep 19 at 9:50pm | |
Hope you are right. We had a similar review a couple of years ago and it would be easy to think the question is being asked until the "correct" answer is given!
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CT249
Far too distracted from work Joined: 08 Jul 06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 08 Sep 19 at 10:41pm | |
No, I didn't miss the point. Probably we are just coming from different angles. I tend to look at the boat's basic design more; things like hull rocker, bow angles, overall configuration and style, leach outline and other aspects of rig design, etc. If you're looking at an older class like Solo, your BM, and plenty of my own classes from that angle, no amount of updating is going to disguise the fact that the basic design came from decades ago. Even if you got someone to make a full carbon BM, Solo, Laser or Tasar and gave it leading-edge 2019 spars, fittings and sails it still wouldn't alter the fact that they are now old designs and look "out of date" from some points of view because of the age of their hull design. Even a Bladerider foiling Moth or a 2015 foiling A Class looks "out of date" in some ways, and no amount of small modification is going to change that. BUT let me make it clear, I don't think there is a single thing wrong with being "out of date". It's a bit like a masterpiece of classical art or architecture or a classic car; the fact that something was designed years ago does not make it inferior. A boat like yours seems to achieve its purpose brilliantly and the fact that its basic design clearly shows its age does nothing to affect that. Edited by CT249 - 08 Sep 19 at 11:11pm |
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Paramedic
Really should get out more Joined: 27 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 929 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 09 Sep 19 at 6:42am | |
The committee can make that commitment. The membership can propose what they like.
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bdu98252
Newbie Joined: 07 Jun 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 30 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 09 Sep 19 at 9:37am | |
I voted for all the rule changes apart from the carbon spar options. The cost increase would make practically zero difference to the speed or feel of the boat. The flooding tanks is a win for the older sailors as the boat will float lower in the water. Getting rid of the centre case table just makes the boat more ergonomic and was only there in the first instance as this used to be the toe straps. The rudder at the back just saves the builder and hopefully the sailor some money in reduced complexity in the rudder stock design. All in all with the exception of the carbon spars a pretty sensible set of suggestions that won't significantly alter the value of existing boats nor make them obsolete.
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