ILCA gives LPE the boot... seeking new Laser builder

[Gouvernail]

View attachment 555295
looks like a few are being sold here and there still

How truly unfortunate. There is a builder who builds Laser exactly as Lasers are supposed to be built and the inability of the owner of that company and others has deprived us of a supplier for our game.
Notice: no blame . Just stating facts

 

[Blue One]

Who knows how they are being build now.

 

[JimC]

In all seriousness that would be a great way for some community sailing programs and colleges to pick up a new fleet of "ILCA like" boats....

I could easily be wrong, but from somewhere I've gained the impression that fleet sales have been LPs main focus for some time.

 

[Gouvernail]

I could easily be wrong, but from somewhere I've gained the impression that fleet sales have been LPs main focus for some time.

Unfortunately, LP never figured out how to cause group buys by local fleets through local dealers.
And our class Association never figured out how to help LP and dealers and fleets to work together toward their common goal…. More boats.

Our game needs , and has needed for 20 years, a psychologist who specializes in helping groups to work together toward their shared goals.

 

[tillerman]

Unfortunately, LP never figured out how to cause group buys by local fleets through local dealers.
And our class Association never figured out how to help LP and dealers and fleets to work together toward their common goal…. More boats.

Our game needs , and has needed for 20 years, a psychologist who specializes in helping groups to work together toward their shared goals.

Could it be something to do with the character traits that drove us all to become single-handed sailors in the first place?

 

[Wess]

Being serious for a moment, no I don’t think it has anything to do with traits associated with single handed sailors. There are lots of fantastic people in Laser fleets. And as in life some % are assholes but no more of less than you will find in crewed boats.

If you really want to be honest, what got you to the problem Gouv laments about was a class association didn’t do much for the grass root level and attracting, retaining, and expanding access to youth, but instead focused efforts around Olympics (and thus bowing down to WS) and older master class sailors and those events. So fewer and fewer grass roots and youth join ILCA and the association become more and more top heavy with masters sailors and or blue blazer types that just like being an Olympic class and at that stage it’s a spiral that they can’t escape from. The class association doesn’t care about the things Gouv talks about because the class (those that join) is now almost solely made up of sailors that don’t care about that. They want and the class association therefore caters to Olympics and elite/masters needs and wants. That ain’t youth, grass roots, expanding access (cheaper boats), club level fleets.

 

[tillerman]

Being serious for a moment, no I don’t think it has anything to do with traits associated with single handed sailors. There are lots of fantastic people in Laser fleets. And as in life some % are assholes but no more of less than you will find in crewed boats.

I wasn't implying that the Laser class has more than its fair share of assholes. After all, I sailed a Laser myself for about 35 years (and may do so again one day.)

All I was suggesting was that the Laser class (and other singlehanded classes) may naturally attract more than their fair share of people who like working by themselves to achieve their goals; as opposed to working with others as part of a team. I am, by nature, one of those loners myself, although I hope I learned a thing or two about working in teams during my professional life.
.

 

[Wess]

Again seriously I don’t think that holds water. I know a lot of Laser sailors (as do you I am sure) and I can’t think of many (except for select few kids) that doesn’t own or crew a larger sailboat as well. How many do you know that sail a Laser (single handed boat) exclusively as opposed to also crew (or own) and race bigger boats as well?

 

[Bill5]

30 + Laser sailors at our club don’t have any other boats, although a few have cruising boats out on the West Coast. And plenty of up and coming youth. Our club defines grass roots dinghy sailing. We have 4or5 that go to the Masters worlds every other year and maybe a dozen would go to the nationals if it was within driving distance. All buy used Lasers. No barrier to entry. I would say half the fleet are ILCA members - about the same as when I was the District Secretary in the 80s.

 

[Blue One]

At my club none of the ILCA sailors own another boat or crews for anyone else .
And it’s the same with all our other singlehanded classes too.
This is the norm for most singlehanded sailors at most clubs in the uk.

 

[MR.CLEAN]

At my club none of the ILCA sailors own another boat or crews for anyone else .

But...but...what about Wessdy's anecdata?

 

[tillerman]

How many do you know that sail a Laser (single handed boat) exclusively as opposed to also crew (or own) and race bigger boats as well?

At my club almost all of the RS Aero, Sunfish and Laser sailors race single-handed boats exclusively. I can think of only a couple of exceptions.

 

[Wess]

Wow that is interesting Tiller. I would not be shocked if we were talking about land-locked lake fleets but that ain't you; correct? Almost none I can think of in my old fleet were exclusive to single-handing. Are there active big boat fleets in your area Tiller? Are they just sailing Laser out of choice or necessity?

 

[tillerman]

Wow that is interesting Tiller. I would not be shocked if we were talking about land-locked lake fleets but that ain't you; correct? Almost none I can think of in my old fleet were exclusive to single-handing. Are there active big boat fleets in your area Tiller? Are they just sailing Laser out of choice or necessity?

I live in Rhode Island and my home club is in southern Massachusetts. Almost every sailing opportunity imaginable is available in this area. But the folk I mix with regularly are dedicated to their one singlehanded class - Sunfish, Laser or RS Aero - and very rarely sail anything else.

Having said that, I know a few folk who sail double-handed dinghies and also sail a singlehanded when they can't find a crew, but they are the exception. I also know a few people who sail more than one singlehanded class.

Not sure what the point of this discussion is. Sailing is a very diverse sport with so many options and different kinds of boat. My particular perception is just one window into the sport.

 

[Xeon]

Wow that is interesting Tiller. I would not be shocked if we were talking about land-locked lake fleets but that ain't you; correct? Almost none I can think of in my old fleet were exclusive to single-handing. Are there active big boat fleets in your area Tiller? Are they just sailing Laser out of choice or necessity?

This is just another thing that proves you are so out of step with the real sailing world that the rest of us live in😂

 

[Wess]

I know. It’s like I don’t even own any boats or sail at all. No wonder you nutters are such a bunch of inbred freaks if all you do is sail Lasers LOL.

 

[Bill5]

Wess has an interesting lens through which he views the sailing world. Perched mightily aboard his ocean-going trimaran, he sees the common man (grass roots sailor) yearning for cheap brand new boats and lamenting ILCA’s existence. My experience is soooooo different. I much prefer what I see. #longlivequalityusedboats #myclubrocks

 

[torrid]

I wasn't implying that the Laser class has more than its fair share of assholes. After all, I sailed a Laser myself for about 35 years (and may do so again one day.)

All I was suggesting was that the Laser class (and other singlehanded classes) may naturally attract more than their fair share of people who like working by themselves to achieve their goals; as opposed to working with others as part of a team. I am, by nature, one of those loners myself, although I hope I learned a thing or two about working in teams during my professional life.
.

I certainly wouldn't want to sail on a boat with an asshole like myself in charge.

Wait a minute...

 

[Gouvernail]

I certainly wouldn't want to sail on a boat with an asshole like myself in charge.

Wait a minute...

What makes you think you are sufficiently competent to be anything more than at the mercy of nature?

I know this author hasn’t ever been in charge.

 

[Wess]

Oceans are scary Bill. You should never take a trimaran or ILCA into the ocean. You could die or something worse.