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Matt Jackson
Really should get out more Joined: 21 Sep 04 Location: Darlington Online Status: Offline Posts: 962 |
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Topic: Interesting Stats Posted: 01 Dec 04 at 4:48pm |
It'll also completely bugger up the dinghy 'Top Trumps' Game - protests galore
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Laser 203001, Harrier (H+) 36
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sailnick
Newbie Joined: 01 Dec 04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 6 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 01 Dec 04 at 8:34pm |
I am amused to read the complete thread of this post. And jealous. I now live in southern California, where we have much better weather but organized dinghy racing that "just plain sucks!" How exciting to read the empassioned arguments to something as simple as inaccurate figures in Y&Y (for which I always have to wait thanks to my sister, still in England, who hogs each issue!). Over here we have more fudamental battles such as actually finding dinghies against which to race, in an area noted for its Farr 40s, Corel 45s, Maxis etc. I have gone through two Lasers, a Contender, a Skate (Canadian design, like an RS600), a Tempest, an ISO and a RS600 to try to find the right boat to get competition for the western US (OK, the ISO and 600 were not intelligent moves!), and I am now playing in a 20' keelboat...Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh! I too have noted errors in Y&Ys figures over the past years, but I always assumed they were caused by over - on under - zealous class associations. Until someone else gathers and publishes better figures (will never happen), we will have to enjoy Y&Y's efforts to keep us informed. British dinghy sailors just don't know how lucky they are to have the volume and diversity of classes open to them; my nearest Albacore fleet is 2200 miles away in Canada (Toronto); the same for the nearest Wayfarer fleet; the nearest Int. Canoe Fleet is 355 miles in San Francisco, etc, etc, etc. As for the RS series, the Laser series (except the Laser itself) and 90% of the other classes you all enjoy, there just simply aren't any over here! Y&Y should produce an annual Dinghy Classes review for the US - the 'new boats' category for most classes would be monotonously familiar - zero. I was also pleased to note that the discussion switched briefly to relying on people to help promote classes. Having had to start a class association, generate a website through a friend and track down boats all by myself in order to breathe new life into a dormant small keelboat class (www.hotfoot20.com), I can attest to the fact that many people, although enthusiastic about their class, are not prepared to put their time into the organizational side of it; merely invest time in the fun sailing side. Thank you Y&Y for making an excellent effort to inform us about all aspects of our sport. I will take any typos or erros in your magazine in good humour, and thank all members of this forum for reminding me that there are other passionate dinghy sailors in this world...something I was starting to forget. Enjoy your winter weather, and I'll enjoy my dinghy-starved-but-sunny CA existence! |
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Stefan Lloyd
Really should get out more Joined: 03 Aug 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1599 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 01 Dec 04 at 9:29pm |
I keep reading in Scuttlebutt that racing is in the decline in the USA and dinghy racing in particular. Obviously one reason for people racing Farr 40s etc is because they have the money to do so, but other than that, why the difference versus the UK? Just curious.
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sailnick
Newbie Joined: 01 Dec 04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 6 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 02 Dec 04 at 12:00am |
These are my opinions only, but having been born and bred in the UK and then having lived the second half of my almost-40-year life here in the US, I feel that my observations are fairly educated... At the risk of offending any US readers of this forum, Americans are by nature, competitive...in ALL aspects of life. This one-up-manship is clearly evident in their toys. While we, in the UK dinghy world, seem to be impressed by speed (hence the success - or introduction, at least - of the 59er, 49er, 29er, RS800, RS700, RS600, Laser 5000, Laser 4000, Boss, ISO, Int. 14, Int Canoe, Osprey, Javelin, FD, B14, 505, Spice, Fireball, Hornet, 470, Vortex, Int. Moth etc...in what other country can you find such a selection of lively boats?), the Americans in general have a mantra of 'bigger is better'. The relatively decent junior club programs, high school programs and University programs, in which American kids race Optimists, Flying Juniors, 420s and Lasers are simply not supported by the club's own racing schedules. Once the kids have graduated from these junior programs they step up into what's available - J22s, J24s and bigger. And why are there no dinghy classes racing at these clubs? Because to be 'cool' in America you need as big a boat as you can afford. And afford them they can. America is a rich country, especially along the coasts, and Americans also live their life on credit. It doesn't matter to them that they own nothing; that their houses, cars, boats, summer houses etc are all owned by the banks and that they are mortgaged to the hilt. Americans like to work hard and play hard (many have 2 or even 3 jobs), and their relatively comfortable salaries are made to stretch to cover all their luxury requirements. This means that they are more than happy to take a loan for $75,000 (GBP50,000 at a standard exchange rate) or more simply to finance a new keelboat. Believe me, I have seen it time and time again. Of course, because America runs on credit, the rates are good to encourage more borrowing... While US sales of dinghies may be pathetic, their sales of keelboats is still pretty strong (even if "Scuttlebutt" states that racing in on the decline). There is one caveat to this dying dinghy discussion: some of their own national classes are very strong here - the 3-man Lightning has over 15,200 boats (including in South America, Greece, Switzerland and Finland) and regularly attracts 100+ boats to its Nationals; the 3-man Thistle has 4,000 boats, but likewise attracts 100+ to its Nats; and other classes such as the Vanguard 15, Snipe, JY15, Sunfish (yuk!) and the weird scow classes in the mid west also do well. Perhaps things are starting to change. The 505 class, that has been weak here for the past 20 years, has had an amazing resurgence of life, especially on the west coast (where the US builder - Waterat - is located). And if the Canadian sailing has any influence, the Byte, Albacore, Contender and Wayfarer classes might stand a chance for growth in the near future. Only time will tell. So, bottom line and IN GENERAL(!), I think that the Americans favour keelboats over dinghies because of their inherent wealth, their contentment to live totally on credit, their view that 'bigger is better' and thus the lack of appropriate dinghy fleets into which the sailing juniors can graduate (did you note that Samuel Kahn, at 15, was racing a Melges 24 keelboat to a Worlds win?). |
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Matt Jackson
Really should get out more Joined: 21 Sep 04 Location: Darlington Online Status: Offline Posts: 962 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 02 Dec 04 at 5:23pm |
Hi Nick Various classes around the world and regionally are suffering from declining support and apathy and your experience would be useful for those trying to promote their class. Is there any chance you could write something about your experience that would be beneficial to these people (essentially me). If you’re shy about publishing it (which judging from your postings so far I doubt) you could PM or email me direct as I’d be interested. Some time ago I posted a couple of threads on the Y&Y forum on this subject with some useful responses but the more the better. PS – I was amused to see a Hotfoot 20 on the website called Chupacabra. If it’s what I’m thinking it means ‘Goat Sucker’ and it’s a South American mythical (?) beast a bit like a werewolf which attacks goats. Now that’s a top name for a boat!
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Laser 203001, Harrier (H+) 36
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sailnick
Newbie Joined: 01 Dec 04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 6 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 02 Dec 04 at 9:15pm |
Hello Matt, If ever there was a person who had picked up the gauntlet and had undertaken to promote a class against all odds, then it has to be your very own International Class Secretary of the Contender Class, Gil Woolley. Consider this: he spends his time trying to steer misguided Americans away from their lead-bottomed bricks (like mine!) and into your beautiful sleek trapezing class here in California (bear in mind that there is no US builder and no US fleet); he fields all US enquiries; he fields many Canadian enquiries (as the Int Secretary, I suspect that he fields world-wide enquiries); he develops and maintains the Int. Contender website; he tracks and monitors the 200+ US Contenders (don't forget that the US is geographically huge, with a population of some 170,000,000); he sits on the Contender board; and at least once a year he flies to Europe to compete with the likes of you. Committed? He should be! He owns, I believe, three Contenders here in the US and a beautiful Bonnezzi (is there any other sort of Bonnezzi than beautiful?!) that is stored in Europe...and no, he is not a multi-millionaire! He is also witty, pleasant, technically-minded and an all-around splendid fellow. If ever there was a medal given to a person who had gone 'above and beyond' for his/her class (Y&Y, take note), Gil should be a prime candidate. Matt it's not that I don't want to oblige, it's merely that with work (I should be doing that now!), family, Hotfoot Association commitments and the fact that the US premiere racing magazine (called "Sailing World") wants me to write an article and produce photos on how I rebuilt my Hotfoot and started the class association, I find the prospect of trying to write something intelligent for you (and perhaps others) to read to be a little daunting... |
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Matt Jackson
Really should get out more Joined: 21 Sep 04 Location: Darlington Online Status: Offline Posts: 962 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 03 Dec 04 at 8:11am |
Fair enough. I've met Gil (at the Worlds in Plymouth) and he has as much energy and enthusiasm as your reply indicates. Maybe I'll bend his ear a bit.
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Laser 203001, Harrier (H+) 36
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Javelin
Newbie Joined: 01 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 18 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 04 at 3:08am |
We’ve been discussing how best to promote our classes on a frequent basis on the Fastsail site over the last year or so. We have muted elsewhere that maybe other classes could benefit from the model and indeed I know a few are thinking about partnering up. However, why not go a step further, do what in many peoples eyes the RYA should be doing and create a UK Dinghy Association. Cost savings to Class associations would be huge for example, Reduced web site costs coupled with proper community based sites rather than the bland information sites you often see. And socially it’s been great and getting better. |
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Coolhand
Newbie Joined: 30 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 34 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 13 Dec 04 at 9:03am |
Javelin, Whilst I can see where you are coming from I don’t think it would work. The Fastsail concept is very powerful – common goals, common experiences, common problems and, surprisingly important, common enemies. All things that help form strong teams/organisations giving Fastsail focus and direction. The groups that would make up UK Dingy Association would have very little common with each other and I feel it would be counter productive. All of the benefits you outline are available by duplicating the Fastsail concept to form other groupings – there are even opportunities to counter some of the influence the manufactures have in the “modern classes” by forming cross brand groupings – e.g. "Very Fast Sail" - Fast Trapezing Asymmetrics e.t.c. IMHO and I’m no expert. |
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Matt Jackson
Really should get out more Joined: 21 Sep 04 Location: Darlington Online Status: Offline Posts: 962 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 13 Dec 04 at 12:40pm |
Interesting points, both. I was thinking that Fastsail had made entry requirment too narrow - I see the Contender being part of the same club but barred by the symetric spinakers thing. Afterall the Contender is about the same speed as a Fireball and once stood out as an extreme but manageble racer. I think it's a brave think that Fastsail has done 'combining' classes that traditionally compete for sailors. I wonder if any of the classes partaking have seen any growth that there wouldn't have been anyway. |
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Laser 203001, Harrier (H+) 36
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