Prompted by some recent reading I’ve done I was wondering what people thought of the role of technology in the formation of new and old classes and in the history of rc sailing/racing.
Should a new class be considered because of the technology it offers? When the vaine sailors first saw RC boats did they react to it as new technology in a positive or negative sense?
Does the fact that some new technology requires entirely new ways to physically sail the boat have a positive or negative effect on a new class using it? Can old classes successfully adopt new technology? Should they?
Does it matter whether new classes are faster, equal, or not as fast as older classes? Should new technologies that change the way a boat is sailed/ raced and that require the learning of new skills be banned , discouraged or encouraged?
In participating in a class does the level of technology have any effect on how you view the class?
What do you see in YOUR crystal ball?
Should new technology be considered for an existing class? That depends. Is the class very active with a lot of boats? Then only adopt what the existing sailors want. Most likely only changes that are easy and inexpensive to upgrade on existing boats will be accepted. Any change requiring basically everyone to build a new boat will be rejected and should be. It would probably drastically reduce the class size. Many will refuse to make a new boat and beginners won’t enter the class because cheap older boats that are still competitive won’t be available.
If the class has only a few boats then it should be up to the existing owners what to do. They have invested in trying to build a class. Do they view it as something that will attract or deter new owners. Again it depends on what the new technology is, how expensive it is, how hard it is to upgrade the existing boats if it can be an upgrade. What is the point of the class. Are they looking for outright speed, do they still want an easy to setup inexpensive boat.
Is it a newly forming class with no boats yet. Again it depends on the situation. What is wanted from the class. What do the people willing to build boats to get it started want? What is their goal and intent for the class. It’s really up to the people writing the rules and building the first boats and what they want since they are doing all the work to get it going.
When you want a new class to consider something new you have to ask what benefit is it going to give them? Is it making the boats faster? It is making it easier to sail or setup? What is the benefit and is it worth the cost? Has it been proven? I doubt any existing class is going to adopt anything until it has been trialed in several races and proven faster/better.
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Should a new class be considered because of the technology it offers? When the vaine sailors first saw RC boats did they react to it as new technology in a positive or negative sense?<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>
Key word here is saw! I think when actually seeing new technologies they become much more appealing. <blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”>
Does the fact that some new technology requires entirely new ways to physically sail the boat have a positive or negative effect on a new class using it?<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>
I would say negative effect, but that really depends on what’s happening with the boat. If this new way of doing something is resulting in more fun, then I could adapt.<blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”> Can old classes successfully adopt new technology? Should they?<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>I agree very much with Ryan here.<blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”>
Does it matter whether new classes are faster, equal, or not as fast as older classes? <hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>
No! I enjoy sailing my Soling 1M just as much as my US1M, IOM, M or any other boat. It’s the people that I’m sailing with and how well mannered the boat is that makes it good for me.
<blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”>Should new technologies that change the way a boat is sailed/ raced and that require the learning of new skills be banned, discouraged or encouraged?<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”> By whom?
It should be able to find it’s way through just as it has in the past.
<blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”>
In participating in a class does the level of technology have any effect on how you view the class?<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>Yes, mostly because of the size of the class, where it’s sailed and the money I would have to spend in relation to how often I would be able to sail it.
It seems to me we have nothing to worry about. ever since I’ve read this forum I’ve wondered if there really is or needs to be any kind of conflict between the High and Low tech. as the saying goes “Different strokes for different folks”
Its natural that if somebody invents something really cool that works well, others will be interested in it. IF the cool inventions are expensive and not so accessible to those of lesser means, that is not a bad thing because there are plenty of low cost boats out there for those people and besides, the cool inventions might inspire anyway. I say Cool inventions are fine.
Personnally I think the best thing to do for the great sport of R/C Model Yachting is to get people interested in it. Focusing on making boats go faster… IS …one way to do that. Another way might be to make quality boats that people like the guy who works at Burger King can afford. I think this is a worthwhile goal because people spend all their time sitting in front of computers when they could be out there in the sun-shine at the local pond learning about something they never even knew could be done. “You mean you can control the sails too? and it doesn’t have a propellor?” says the guy carrying the boom box. Right there you’ve really impressed somone. I’ve seen it every time I sail. The number of people who have actually seen and R/C model yacht, and what it can do, must be something like one in a billion. Most people picture it as a goofy thing that tips over and sinks.
(I should get off this computer and go make myself some supper)
Great comments! Seems like there is room for new things if only by creating new classes. Some of the newest technologies have a more profound effect on the character of an rc sailboat than anything that has come before ; it will be interesting to see how and if these new ideas find their way into "mainstream " rc sailboat racing.