Bye Bye Europe

The warning about the Europe by Stefan is something to recognise.  A similar thing happened to the Flying Dutchman.  Olympic boats without very strict one design rules get developed in ways which make them very expensive for normal punters (some Dutchmen had titanium centreboards).  With the Europe you'll find the top people talk about developing sails and rig and go through several rigs and dozens of sails in a year.  To be competitive you require a sail and mast to match your weight.  Against stars with funding you are unlikely to be able to compete.  Its sad for the Europe but I suspect it will now fade away.

Boats like the 5o5, which have avoided Olympic selection, have thrived.

At least the Laser Radial has such strict rules it will survive the Olympics just as the Laser has done.

But feel free to replace the 49er if some faster, more exciting skiff came along!

It's an awful warning to classes why Olympic selection is bad news.

15 years ago the Europe was ticking along nicely in the UK as a class consisting 50/50 of women and male youths moving up from Opis but too light for Lasers. It had an active open circuit with modest but steady turn-outs. Then it was selected for the Olympics. Initially interest soared but over time it became clear that the level of support the handful in the RYA squad were receiving made success in the class virtually unobtainable for anyone else. The men moved elsewhere, as did the women who did not have Olympic aspirations. Now the class has been dropped from the Olympics and there is nothing left.

So if you want your class selected for the Olympics, think hard what you really want.

You have also got to feel sorry for those girls who haven't been through the Olympic cycle and only bought the boat a few months ago, having sold the Radial and will have lost lots of dosh Oh well... guess there will be lots of Radial coaching for me  

Jon

I know some of the Europe girls and they're probably gonna be gutted. You spend an Olympic Cycle learning about the boat and just about get to grips with it and start to make progress - then all of a sudden they've got to sell up and get a Radial.

I guess there'll be alot of cheap, well-maintained Europes going up for Sale now! They must be breathing a sigh of relief though...they could have been stuck with a byte  (Joke)