Whats the matter with the forum.

From what I can see and what I now know from loads of folk who give me
stick having read some of my drivel, there are a lot lot more folk who
read but don't contribute.

That there are the skiffy flat water pseudo "high performance adrenalin
seekers", terribly misplaced imho larging it up is only to be expected, but
that aside, I expected a lot lot more general allround clubby types like
myself.

A bit like Y&Y used to be about, what went on where and when and to
who.

It almost seems this forum is the province of travellers, quite a few
Cherub owners who are amusing to bait in their misguided attempts at
thrill seeking, then a few died in the wool proponents of a given class or
sailing style, but where for instance are all the other RS500 sailors for
instance?

Is it that their interest is better served by the Yahoo groups or is it they
feel somehow likely to be derided by twerps? Twerps I might add that
probably couldn't launch from our beach never mind get a Cherub or
other Skiffy sled round a course.

So is it that simple? Skiff riders ruin forum?

Interesting debate.

Edited by G.R.F

Originally posted by JimC I would be very amused to see what happened to our "friend" GRF on SA... Actually I'd probably fall about laughing!

True - he'd learn the meaning of "being given stick".

I think BNS and Merlin boy are right. 

There are too many wannabe skiff sailors who look down on anything that doesn't have wings and go very quickly in a f2 before immediately capsizing due to 'gear failure'.  Strangely, these people never appear at the top end of the results lists and would be completely blown out of the water had they to rely on a skill most have foregone in their never ending pursuit of speed - the use of boat on boat tactics.

After this you have the fact you can never post a photo without one such 'expert' telling you you're doing it all wrong, despite the fact you may only be doing it 'wrong' from that particular camera angle or in that split second when the shot was taken.

I do think some of the skiff sailors on here make valid points, and actually are knowledgeable about the boats they sail - I felt the ribbing andy cherub got about his prototype rig was unfair, because a) we need to such adventure to keep classes developing and b) how many of his abusers actually have the knowledge to boat any kind of rig together at all?

I don't really care what sort of language is used, or where people come from or even how old they are (I don't even care about the hot hot hot threads) but it would be nice to see some talk other than about speed and which contained respect for the classes of boat from which many of our top sailors graduate.

I think sailing is drifting away from the real skills, such as tactics, reading the wind shifts and tides and setting up a sound rig and degenerating into a sport that resembles water based drag racing and this forum reflects that.

Well that's totally my impression wing-wang and it's so stupidly ironic
given even the slowest windsurfer racing class speed wise will knock a
skiff into a cocked hat. The new Kona OD we're just launching for
instance clocks at 34 kts and it's regarded as slow.

Sailing for me is so totally about tactics, shifts tides and I'm surprised at
how so few sailors these days know even the basics.

Time was we windsurfers turned to the dinghy world for that knowledge,
with guys like Eric Twiname veritable goldmines of info on which to build
your own experience database.

So if you're me, wanting to continue to use that acquired knowledge, and
you turn up on this forum only to be faced with advice from 16 yr olds
being handed out and taken as gospel and drag strip culture prevalent
everywhere but here's the rub, the most inefficient display of out of
control tail walking lauded as excellence, you do wonder what's happened
to the dinghy world.

So maybe most just raise an eyebrow and move on rather than even
bothering to comment.

Edited by G.R.F

I had a quick look at that forum

The next big thing?

Washing up bowls?

They know a lot don't they?

Doesn't look much different, some of the usual suspects that crop up
everywhere.. The usual mix of Bethwaite victims and foilers.