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A new class of dinghy?
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 9:40am
Originally posted by RossV

 
Non SMOD boats sustain our independent sail and spar makers, not to mention the fittings industry.
I have only ever owned SMODs, with Toppers, Lasers, 29er, 49er, RS200 and RS800, but of all those only the Laser has determined which brand of blocks you can buy. And most classes actually seem to move their OEM supply chain around quite a bit. 

Originally posted by RossV

 
There are many ways of coming into sailing, perhaps the most common is to inherit the role. That is not enough. We need other pathways into sailing and reasons to take up and stick with the sport. In this era, the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate skills and tenacity can be seen as a pathway into employment or further study. This can be a potent form of outreach to non sailors, particularly, it can get sailing into schools but doesn't fit with the SMOD ethos.
I'd like to have a go at a more development class, but the fact is, most have gone beyond what you can create at home now a days. Certainly in the UK most are buying from one or two builders, who sell on quality, not price. Hardly anyone is experimenting themselves with sail, foil and hull shapes at home. I'd still love to sail a Merlin, or a I14, or a N12... lovely boats with super interesting systems to play around with, but the fact you can build your own and experiment with hull and sail shapes is just so beyond me it becomes irrelevant to the decision to sail the class or not. 

I just think most development classes have gone beyond the point where the option of 'build your own' is an incentive to those outside the class, or even more so from outside sailing. It's not like a 1970s Mirror or GP14 where the everyday person looks at it and thinks, "yeah, i could make one of those in the shed".
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Posts: 737 		Post Options Post Options   Quote H2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 9:51am
Mozzy I agree - in a separate part of my life I like cars. For years I had Caterham type things which you could tinker with in your garage and it was great fun getting to understand how different set ups affected lap times at various circuits (equivalent of building your own Int 14 and tinkering). But in truth most of us had no idea what we were really doing and it started to get scary how fast these cars went around a track and in the back of your head you knew that it was in fact you that had tightened that bolt and did you really know what you were doing!!! 

Then I bought a Lotus Exige, put my tools away and just enjoyed driving it because it was so fast out the box and anything I did to it would just slow it down.

There is no way I could build a boat that is as good to sail as my H2 in my view. So why waste my life trying? Better to just go sailing.
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Posts: 16 		Post Options Post Options   Quote RossV Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 11:34am
As Mozzy said above...
I just think most development classes have gone beyond the point where the option of 'build your own' is an incentive to those outside the class, or even more so from outside sailing. It's not like a 1970s Mirror or GP14 where the everyday person looks at it and thinks, "yeah, i could make one of those in the shed".


So what design of boat can be brought to market that will give more non-sailors a desire to join sailing clubs and give the sport a boost?
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Posts: 6605 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 11:48am
I honestly don't think new classes will make much difference to people joining the sport. Yeah, one can dream about the boat made out of unobtanium that will cost half of what current boats do, be stiffer and nicer to sail that the most sophisticated epoxy/carbon build, and as capable as any current boat both as a singlehander and racing with a crew of three, but its not going to happen any time soon...
To my mind the big challenge for sailing popularity is the dilettante/bucket list mentality which militates against any sport you have to put serious effort in to get much fun out of, but there's nothing we can do about that. Times will change sooner or later anyway.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 12:58pm
Originally posted by RossV

As Mozzy said above...
I just think most development classes have gone beyond the point where the option of 'build your own' is an incentive to those outside the class, or even more so from outside sailing. It's not like a 1970s Mirror or GP14 where the everyday person looks at it and thinks, "yeah, i could make one of those in the shed".


So what design of boat can be brought to market that will give more non-sailors a desire to join sailing clubs and give the sport a boost?

Well, going back to 3d printing... Flow modelling software and CAD are more likely to be skills the younger generation can utilise than the basic woodwork of the post war era. Younger generations are much less likely to have a garage to build something in, but they're much more likely to have access to decent computing power. 

Half the problem is that the technology we're using to make boats can't be replicated in peoples garages, but also that most young people don't have garages or time to spend in them. 

Until people feel they can really engage themselves in a design and construction race, then I think SMODs have a very important place in the sport. 
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Posts: 1020 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Oli Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 2:39pm
Originally posted by mozzy

  Younger generations are much less likely to have a garage to build something in, but they're much more likely to have access to decent computing power. 

Half the problem is that the technology we're using to make boats can't be replicated in peoples garages, but also that most young people don't have garages or time to spend in them. 


One possible solution right there Mozzy, why the need to get wet in the first instance when introducing someone to sailing? Why go through the expense of purchasing a boat or indeed time building one? The next generation are more likely to be able to program better VR games and learn to sail and race virtually. Question is will they? Maybe, depends on the challenge:reward presented.  Then we may see actual uptake in the real world.  Wonder what the stats are from the likes of the VVOR of sailors:non-sailor and what the take up is of those non-sailors into the sport?
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Posts: 3298 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 423zero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 7:14pm
Biggest single issue for dinghy sailing in UK is non sailors perception that sailing is expensive and participants are snooty.
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Posts: 16 		Post Options Post Options   Quote RossV Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 7:24pm
Originally posted by 423zero

Biggest single issue for dinghy sailing in UK is non sailors perception that sailing is expensive and participants are snooty.
Good point, the father of one young man who came to my club to participate in the boatbuilding programme I run told me, "I had no idea that sailing could be cheaper than a season ticket to the footy!"
The whole family is now interested in the sport. The next task, to get them participating, along with their son, in the boat he built.
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Posts: 1758 		Post Options Post Options   Quote maxibuddah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 7:35pm
Originally posted by RossV

As Mozzy said above...
I just think most development classes have gone beyond the point where the option of 'build your own' is an incentive to those outside the class, or even more so from outside sailing. It's not like a 1970s Mirror or GP14 where the everyday person looks at it and thinks, "yeah, i could make one of those in the shed".


So what design of boat can be brought to market that will give more non-sailors a desire to join sailing clubs and give the sport a boost?

Probably nothing, I think it is the idea that needs to be sold not the boat, however the boat can certainly put them off once they attend.
Everything I say is my opinion, honest
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Posts: 3362 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 18 at 8:43pm
This it right to a point, but, there are very few truly bad boats, especially from a total novices POV. They are far more likely to be put off by the people or the environment.
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