Wayfarer Racing Class Development

I have noticed from the Y&Y Racing Class Review that some traditional dinghy classes have been enjoying a resurgence over the past few years. EG.: GP14, Lark, Merlin, Scorpion, OK and Phantom.

Wayfarers have had fairly static or even declining attendances at Championship meetings for some years and I would like to know how any of you might suggest better participation.

I guess that a lot of effort from the Class Association is necessary, but can anyone give specific advice.

John H, W7628

The Merlin class association is extremely active. There are regular training events largely for newcomers to the class, at which the hot-shots are prepared to divulge their secrets. It is the most welcoming class I've been involved with.

It has also transformed itself from a heavyweight's to a lightweight's class over the years through rig development. This has made it more attractive to younger sailors, who tend to be lighter (before the years of ale and pies have taken their toll). This is different to the situation 10-20 years ago, when it was a fairly middle-aged class.

It has also become almost entirely an open-circuit based class. It is thriving despite the fact that there are only a handful of club fleets. That is also completely different to where it was 30 years ago.

I think there is a reaction away from manufacturer's OD classes and a growing number of people who like a boat they can customise and stamp their personality upon. I'm not saying this applies to everyone, or even most people, but enough to mean there are more Merlins being built now than for many years.

I have no idea how any of that may apply to Wayfarers. I'm afraid that despite having learned to sail in one, they have not appealed to me since. Too heavy.

Wayfarers are what they are and being a One Design the boat itself cannot be developed much more. They can be heavy for some to move and launch, but there are usually plenty of others around to help. They are however no more difficult than any other dinghy to rig and trail.

Some clubs have large fleets, but as the class was also designed for training and cruising, the numbers involved in racing is sometimes limited.

60 at the Worlds in Canada this year, inc 20 from UK and nearly 50 at this years Nationals at BlackwaterSC, so perhaps not so bad. Lets aim for over 50 at next year's Nationals at HISC.

I think that the perceived problem is that there are not enough new members joining the fleet, but perhaps this is the same for a lot of dinghy classes. Thank you for some useful ideas above, any more would be welcome. Perhaps the Wayfarer is now on the cusp of changing from a club based fleet to an open circuit based fleet such as others have described. 

 The Wayfarer is a large dinghy probably more suitable for sailing on the sea and larger inland waters. In this case it is competing for sailors not only with the other dinghy classes but also with small keel boats and cruisers. It is my experience that, as far as club racing is concerned, on these waters, sailors gravitate towards the keelboats and cruisers rather than the dinghies.The situation is probably very different on smaller inland waters where only dinghy sailing is possible

Relative to incomes keelboats and cruisers (especially second hand boats) have never been cheaper - hence the tendency to upsize!  Dinghy racing was probably at it's peak when cruisers were far more expensive (relative to income and when there was not the infrastructure (yacht harbours and marinas) for them

If you take a budget of around £6-7000 you could : buy a competetive almost new dinghy (Fireball, Wayfarer), new sails, and campaign it round the open circuit; buy a small keelboat like a Squib for local racing and one or two away events; buy a small ageing cruiser (an early plastic boat like a Pandora) and compete in club racing and local regattas in handicap racing (old boats  do well - look at the results of the Round the Island over the past few years). If a few club members invest in keelboats or cruisers, they are likely to create lively local racing which attracts new participants. People can remain active longer (the "grey" consumer strikes again), and these boats are perceived as more user friendly for the casual sailor (no falling in the water).

Dinghy racing is now very much a "lifestyle" option - appealing to the physically active, mobile, young (at heart) competitve elements in sailing. I feel that racing dinghies will increasingly live on their trailers. Clubs and classes should recognise this and use it to their advantage. Running events is essential (not necessarily mega-championships but friendly events for local sailors) - conventional races and special events (pursuit races, team racing, long distance races) as is organising training and coaching for juniors and adults, both beginners and "improvers" (aka all of us!). A particular emphasis should be placed on helping adult recruits to the sport make the transistion from learner to active participant.

In a club I belonged to in France the best investment the club made was to buy a few 2 and 3 boat trailers. In this way we could transport the whole fleet to open events. We only organised about 10 days formal racing a year on the club lake, however members trained throughout the winter and went, as a group, to open meetings both locally, around the country and abroad. Meanwhile the club instructor and other members were busy recruiting and training new sailors.

In conclusion - sailors will go where the action is.

Gordon

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Would a change of rules to allow modern epoxy fillet, stitch and glue type construction encourage more builders - I believe that there is some complicated copyright problem in the class.

For a few years cold moulded wood/epoxy Dragons were faster (but twice the price!) - a recent rule change means that plastic boats are as fat if not faster.

Gordon