A tale of two classes

Brian E. Evans · Post by **Brian E. Evans** » Thu May 18, 2006 8:05 am

This article appeared in the US Sailing's electronic news letter today. It makes thoughtful reading so I thought I would share it with you. http://www.ussailing.org/member/library ... lasses.htm
Brian Evans.

Post by **Rupert** » Thu May 18, 2006 9:15 am

An excellent article, which really showed the importance of a few people...where would the cvrda be without Ed?!

Chris 249 · Post by **Chris 249** » Thu May 18, 2006 12:46 pm

Great stuff, Brian.

nprice · Post by **nprice** » Thu May 18, 2006 7:03 pm

Very interesting and I suspect it applies to many clubs as well. If people don't put something back into their sport, it's a fine line between success and failure.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:37 pm

Totally agree, without the effort of people like Godfrey Clark the British Moth would have died undeer the Laser onslaught,the same could be said of many people and classes, and possibly the whole of dinghy sailing as we know it

davidh · Post by **davidh** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:53 pm

Mark,

could it be that it is the whole nature of the sport that is changing?

When racing the Buzz some 10 year past (rather than 10 years after!!) it was clear that TI were performing many of the functions that the diehard stalwarts had done over in the non mass produced boats.

So..all things must pass.... sailing as we once knew being no exception
D

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun May 21, 2006 5:35 pm

Ten years ago I would have said that that was true, but now I am not so sure.
At sea and on the very large ponds the asymetrics have made an impact, but on the smaller waters that make up the majority of the clubs, it is still the "traditional" classes that predominate.
Years ago I read the " the average dinghy sailor sails a GP14 on a gravel pit near Birmingham"
I still think that that is very close to the truth
Mark

Post by **Rupert** » Sun May 21, 2006 9:34 pm

I was reading about the Lazy E in the 1963 Dinghy Year Book, and it was being described as the replacement for the (their words) "rather outdated GP14"... So there is nothing new about boats with asymmetrics trying to take the market from more traditional craft!

davidh · Post by **davidh** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:56 am

Ahh..... The lazy E, one of the boats that I looked at when considering the 'Lost' classes. I came to the conclusion that like the Mirror 14 the lazy E suffered from 'failure by association' - people just saw it as a big enterbox and passed it by. Nowadays I'd say that the Lazy E would make a good handicap boat.... but are there any left!!

Back to the core of the article - could it be that over the years we've been 'tempted' all along the way with new classes but have proved remarkably conservative - as indeed the classes themselves have proved remarkable resilient.

The change now is that it is the the people are changing - the old guard, raised on a diet of enterboxes, GP14's, Albacores and the like are easing out of the sport. Those people now forming the core of competition sailing are in the newer boats - or cats and over the next 5 -10 years this process will accelarate.

Mark was righht about the 'average' sailor but nowadays I'd say that this has changed - it's an RS 200....still on a pond somewhere in the Midlands, maybe a guy sailing with his son - with the son dreaming of reaching the age of 16 and getting his hands on a 29er!!!

D

Post by **Rupert** » Mon May 22, 2006 10:56 am

Not such a bad dream! I dreamed of wacky Moths, I seem to remember, but never did get one...I don't really fancy flying now, though, but I bet the young crews of RS200's do!
The Lazy E made it big down under, I believe. I'm sure Chris249 can supply the info!

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Mon May 22, 2006 7:49 pm

err!!! i think sombody spelt enterprise wrong , Enterbox !!! come on give us ent sailors class a little respect , i mean there aren;t 23,000 fireflys or British moths been made have there .

Post by **Rupert** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:03 pm

Very true Duncan - not that it was me who made the comment (though I'll admit to using the name Enterbox on and off (mainly on) for the last 30 years! It is the sheer volume of Ents, built well, indifferently or downright badly that caused people to shy away from a more high performance version. After all, the same year as the Lazy E the Fireball came out, which looks infinitely racier. I love sailing Enterprises (see, proper name!) but I'm afraid I wouldn't use numbers built to signify whether one boat is better than another, or we end up with the Sunfish as the best boat ever!

Alan Price · Post by **Alan Price** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:17 pm

Or even an Enterbarge I've heard mentioned. Cannot remember where or by who but I fear it could have been by an OK sailing pal who has been extremely successful in Ents.
I learnt to sail with Dad in 9677 but have'nt been in one for over 30 years.Where is this boat now?

Post by **Rupert** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:10 pm

And I thought it was waybarges and Enterboxes - must depend where you come from!

JimC · Post by **JimC** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:21 pm

E-barge in my area