Are the Sailing Mags Dead?

[jamesjermain]

Re: Look after the people...

I agree, lines plans would be good, though I don't think they mean a lot to many people.

However, we have the greatest difficulties getting GZ curves and STIX numbers out of designers - and they are legally obliged to supply them. Getting lines plans has proved almost impossible on the ocasions we have tried. I haven't been offered a genuine set of lines for a modern production boat for many years. What we do sometimes get, as part of the blurb, are some styalised lines for a notional boat which they may or may not have actually built.

We have taken the view in the past (I can't speak for Paul), that unless we can get them reasonably consistently, its better not to publish them at all... I agree, this is open to discussion.

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ

 

[jamesjermain]

Re: Well said that man

I refer you to my reply to the 'Can it get any worse' threat about yachting writer's qualifications and experience.

On a boat test: 'did I do the recording'
In my own boat: 'Ah! Bliss.'

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ

 

[mickshep]

Re: A recognisable ambiance

A daft way to put it perhaps, but to my mind the copies of PBO that I still have from the seventies seem to have a more 'friendly' feel to them , reading them made me at least feel part of a sailing community, todays offerings, whilst still being informative and certainly more colourfull have lost the personal touch, being to a degree more like an advertising brochure in layout. Where once I could not wait for the release date of my chosen magazines, I now find that I rarely buy any of them. Whilst recognising that a magazine has to evolve to reflect the changing times I do feel that something has been lost along the way. This months Classic Boat did a great feature on a new GRP Folk Boat. A good entry level cruiser at over 20K. Why did they not do the same article on an identical craft, but 20 years old? Same boat/performance etc but far more entry level at 3-5K than 20K+. Then at the end put in that you can buy a brand new one for X ammount. Many of todays mags' seem to want to concentrate more on the vessels that through cost alone can only ever be available to a minority. Whilst everyone likes to dream, a little more 'realistic' content might not be a bad thing. Cheers, Mike.

<hr width=100% size=1>"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me."

 

[Jacket]

Re: Look after the people...

My feeling would be better to have the occasional lines, when they're available, rather than not at all. I agree that lines plans don't mean a lot to many people just now, but if people could see the plans, and compare them to your comments on sailing performance and behaviour, many would learn to recognise better how hull shape affects performance.

But how about using the more accuartely drawn sail plans and accomodation layouts found in most builders brochures. Sure, the style will appear different from boat test to boat test, but does that really matter?

On a slightly different note, I was at a structural engineering conference this weekend, and an interesting point was made. In general, buildings, bridges and so on evolve very slowly, with people copying what came before. The big leaps in design (addmitedly aesthetics and concept, rather than engineering) come about when people start publishing new ideas and concepts that they know are unlikely to be built, and so they can experiment with ideas more. Most changes in building style can be traced back to such an occurance, such as the magazine "Archigram", which eventually spawned building such as the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

So why can't we have something similar in our magazines? Many designers produce concepts from time to time- for example Mark Mills has many of them on his website. Why can't we have a page or two in each month, covering such a design? The only mags that seem to do this are wooden boat and occasionally Classic boat. isn't it a bit odd that mags covering traditional boats are doing more to spawn new ideas than those that are covering more modern boats?

Given most people read boat reviews more to find out what the latest thinking is, rather than with a view to buy these boats, surely such articles would be of great interest. And who knows, if certain concepts stimulate enough interest, it may influece the types of boat builders produce.

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[Mirelle]

Re: Look after the people...

"Many designers produce concepts from time to time- for example Mark Mills has many of them on his website. Why can't we have a page or two in each month, covering such a design? The only mags that seem to do this are wooden boat and occasionally Classic boat. isn't it a bit odd that mags covering traditional boats are doing more to spawn new ideas than those that are covering more modern boats?"

Good point!

I think the reason why these magazines these designs is that it is such a "traditional" thing for a yottimag to do! Can the mainstream mags please resume doing it? It's of great interest to almost everyone. For instance, Classic Boat ran a competition for a motor boat to be driven by a 10hp diesel - I drew, but did not submit, a trimaran, just for fun. Quite like the boat, actually - might get built one day!

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[Birdseye]

Re: Look after the people...

For me, Mirrelle hit the nail on the head when referring to the escape from middle class drudgery" or words to that effect. When I can sail, I do. When I cant sail, I read about it, I think about it in meetings, and at times I even dream about it. I want a sailing mag to lift me a bit out of my every day life, and give me something to day dream about. Sailors who have escaped the rat race, sailing in exotic places, sailing in the nooks and crannies of the UK

Sure its sometimes useful to have the "What Boat" bit, but most boat reports are of little interest either because they are not my sort of boat, or because I'm not in the market at the time. But it would be very useful to have a "What Marina" bit, complete with photos of the dirty showers and surly staff, if only to push them into improvement.

And what about humour. Nothing like a good belly laugh afetr you have dragged yourself home through the traffic jams of a December evening.

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[Salty]

Re: A recognisable ambiance

I wasn't sailing in the 30's, so I'm not talking from experience, but I do remember that when I started reading sailing magazines in the 70's there seemed more magic about them than there does now. A sailing magazine should fulfil various functions, one of which is of course to inform, but there also seems scope to create a 'realistic escapism' which captures exactly the mood Mirelle highlights.

By that I don't mean articles about chartering in exotic locations (all of which I find rather dull), but exactly the sort of thing that Mirelle says - something that just makes you look forward to the weekend and the option of doing whatever (even if in reality you know you have to decorate the spare bedroom).

It strikes me that the sailing magazines are now just 'consumer magazines', albeit specialist ones, and the magic isn't there. Endless gear and boat tests and holiday cruise reports that do little to inspire me to go out sailing. Classic Boat is the exception. Even though I've never owned and only occasionally sailed a 'classic', that is the one magazine that has the magic factor that makes me long for being out on the water, and so is the only one I now buy.



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