The RS100 Owners Thread

I am not going into a full debate over marketing strategies again (although its obvious Jim wants another bin fight between the classes)  however James is right.  Rodney and Suntouched who were the instigators of the relationship with Devoti and Dan, who helped develop a commercial product out of one mans dream.  Cannot be accused of over hyping anything.  Rodney and his wife Sue are some of the most lovely people you will meet.  They work tirelessly in delivering excellent customer service and great products.  Rodney is also incredibly honest.  If he thinks he has cocked up or their is a fault with one of his boats he would tell you.  Flashy video's, questionable statements are not his 'bag' delivering a good product to normal people is.

Now as for RS, they work differently, that's their prerogative.  They have budget and resource to be able to offer something different.  Sure i poke at them, but you cant argue they deliver a good campaign.  My issue has always been with some of the claims made, i always felt they did themselves a disservice.  I just don't think they were needed.  As a consumer I am allowed to voice my thoughts on an open forum.  I also EXPECT to be challenged, forums are about debates, weird points of view and banter.  RS play the game and i guess they expect it, certainly from me.

congratulations, I hear Akela will personally sew on your trolling badge. 

They do indeed- how many other brands could launch a dacron-sailed 13ft unarig and get some much bandwidth discussing it.... especially when MOST of us haven't even seen one owned by someone we know on the water?  It's a testament to how much their company ethos - current, former and future, resides within the consciousness of those reading and posting on this forum and on this occasion, I'd say within the wider dinghy sailing arena.

If a few people on a forum call out some of the 'wilder' claims, or the fact that RS have been smart enough to engage the services of one of the UK dinghy sailing scene's most respected participants, who also just happened to review their product for the only hardcopy magazine claiming to cover dinghy sailing, well honestly and genuinely, good luck to them.  It will sell boats, and that, after all, is their primary mission, not dissimilar to Suntouched or Devoti.

I just hope they have foresight to find a way to collaborate in the future outside of just their bubble.  The RS 'scene', certainly in single handers, is in decline- like a lot of class programmes.  I'm sure the SJ series could do with a headline sponsor of their calibre and frankly, evolve or die...  they are the number 1 brand in UK dinghy sailing now, it will take a lot of work to maintain that.