Yachting Monthly

[jwilson]

I have been buying YM every month for about 35 years.

I have accepted the slow change from truly beautiful photos on the front cover in the 1970s/80s to very average ones now.

I have accepted the apparent increase in stories of incompetence - at least these have learning value for others.

I have accepted the sometimes slightly useless comparative tests - plotters not tested in sunlight being one that irritated me particularly, as I am planning to replace a (not cheap) helm-position plotter that works beautifully but is almost totally invisible in sunlight.

I have accepted that for an ever-increasing price I spend less and less time reading it each month.

But this months edition is very close indeed to stopping me buying it again:

Sea anchor - "storm conditions - 15 miles offshore, lee shore - rig the sea anchor and you ride out the storm" I'd rather not die, thank you.

"Marine VHF radio was invented by Marconi in 1896" Even if Marconi invented radio, which is sometimes contested, it certainly was not marine VHF.

"automatic bilge pump - a tireless ever-vigilant crew member patrolling the bilge" What bilge.

I also have some issues with a few broad-brush statements in the "Cruising Abroad" section, but as that is written by an RYA rep perhaps I should write to them.

 

[snooks]

I have accepted the slow change from truly beautiful photos on the front cover in the 1970s/80s to very average ones now.

That's you scrubbed off my Christmas card list....Average? Hurrumph!



Lets just take a looksee at those beautiful photographs shall we......?

Yep no doubt there, out of focus photographs are definitely more beautiful than in focus images.

I think what you'll find is that the cover photograph has to reflect the content, I know it's a crazy idea, who'd would buy a car magazine with a Ferrari on the front and expect to read about a Ferrari inside? It's all bonkers this magazine logic nowadays.

And coverlines, where's the thinking there? Trying to advertise the content of the magazine to potential readers. It's madness I tell you! it will never catch on

Oh hang on.....

 

[Appledore]

I subscribe to another well-known boaty magazine, and have done for many years. Very occasionally, and by that I mean perhaps once or twice a year, I would buy Yachting Monthly, depending on its contents for that month. However, for the past year or so I have bought every issue, as even with an older 22 footer, almost valueless (to many), I do find the issues of value. I've read this month's issue from cover to cover several times, even in the bath!!

OK, no magazine will be full of information that's of use to everyone, and, yes, sometimes there will be errors in editing, but, I find that part of the 'fun', to spot errors, and then wait for folk to write in and bring this to the attention of us all.

All in all, I find most of the items either of use or interest, or both, to me.

Thanks

Geoff

 

[dylanwinter]

Sharper for sure

Technically the images are better

brilliantly exposed, sharp as pins

but I think that the verbage all over the font cover certainly detracts from the composition of the images - and that must upset you a bit as a photographer snooks

perhaps they should try to dump all the front page clutter and see if it makes more people pick the magazine up

or if the clutter is needed to make it sell in the newsagent send different front covers to subscribers

I do think that some of the front covers look less artistic and more like adverts than they did in the past

but that is life

I now no longer put titles on the front of my films - just cut to the quick

who wants 30 seconds of

this film is made by Ken Russel

cameraman is slarty bartfast

thanks to Aunty Jean for the make-up

 

[sarabande]

I want pictures on the front to have a romantic, almost inspirational, element, whereas the current trend is to use them as a technical illustration of some article inside. The need is for art, not technology - that belongs to PBO cover, yes ? And I disagree about the compulsion for pin sharp images. Just because you CAN do it does not mean you MUST do it every time.

One, and only one of those pics you use as illustrations, fills that trigger to buy. And the verbal clutter on the front is a distraction; it could be reduced, e.g "16 Solar panels on test. Which works best in the UK ?" goes down to "Solar Panels in the UK". That is more of a teaser, and is likely to push me to finding what the full article is about.

It is like the marketing story of the farmer who put up a large sign at the farm gate "Fresh hens eggs for sale at £1.50 and box of a dozen" and motorists did not have time to read the whole sign so drove past. "Eggs £1.50" brought customers in.

You only have one chance to catch the eye of impulsive buyers at the magazine racks, and having to read the small print on the cover (that's what writing is all about) takes time and slows down decision making.


Oh, and Snooks, you could have airbrushed out the prices

 

[tom_sail]

I really enjoyed the crash test series! YM took it to another level and succeeded. One criticism with the crash test was I brought the first 2 issues then realised I could just watch the videos on the
Internet for free! YM should have included a free DVD with the mag
Then I would have brought all the issues

 

[Vara]

I still yearn for the old textured paper cover.

(Or was that another mag?).

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Have a look at Garmin. They are really good in bright sunlight.

I have switched to the ipad version and I read the articles in text only mode.

Except if Snooks has taken the pictures of course.

 

[snooks]

but I think that the verbage all over the font cover certainly detracts from the composition of the images - and that must upset you a bit as a photographer snooks

I'm not disagreeing with that, however because there words on top of an image, it does not reduce the effort taken to get it or reduce the art involved in taking it, or make the image itself less artistic. Of course the words detract from the image, but the image is not there to brighten the walls of WHSmiths. It's an advert for the content of the magazine, it has to compete for your attention against it's rivals, and it has to sell, if it doesn't sell we don't have a job (or a boat )

Shelf space is at a premium, often you only get to see the top half or the left side of the magazine when it is on the shelf. Few outlets manage to show the whole cover, as they did 30-40 years ago.

The cover photo has to have room for the coverlines, it's a fact of life. If I want my images on the cover of magazines I have to accept that some wordsmith will write all over them. Luckily they don't get to write over my images which are on our walls at home

 

[NealB]

I'm with what seems to be (so far) the majority.

The covers now are too busy, and shout 'advertisment' to me. That's off putting (to me).

I subscribed to YM for several decades (as did my Dad before me), and could just safely assume that the content would justify the expense ... which, invariably, it did (with MG, JDS, Bill Beavis...how could it not?). I didn't need (nor want) the contents page on the cover.

I used to think of YM as being 'classy, high quality and authoritative'.

Now (dare I admit here?) I, generally, think 'comic'.

Like Vara, I also miss the old, thick, textured covers.

Yeah...you're right..I'm a sad old git, looking through rose tinted spectacles (and still reading copies from the 60s and 70)!

But I stopped my sub many years ago, and read the club's copy nowadays.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Technically the images are better

brilliantly exposed, sharp as pins

but I think that the verbage all over the font cover certainly detracts from the composition of the images - and that must upset you a bit as a photographer snooks

perhaps they should try to dump all the front page clutter and see if it makes more people pick the magazine up

or if the clutter is needed to make it sell in the newsagent send different front covers to subscribers

I do think that some of the front covers look less artistic and more like adverts than they did in the past

but that is life

I now no longer put titles on the front of my films - just cut to the quick

who wants 30 seconds of

this film is made by Ken Russel

cameraman is slarty bartfast

thanks to Aunty Jean for the make-up

+1

The clutted up front is self defeating advertising. The element of mystery on the old mags made me pick up and take home , now i know whats inside the comic , no reason to buy .

 

[dylanwinter]

Fat old man in a cheap boat

I was so depressed after my mega exposure in PBO that they decided not to put the image of the fat old bloke river sailing a rubbish boat with bicycles bungeed to the foredeck

I am sure that it would have flown off the shelves
this is the image they missed

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/P1040966.jpg

 

[Boomshanka]

55p in August 1978... gosh, that's inflation for you

Using an inflation calculator, that's about £2.45 nowadays!

 

[jhr]

I still yearn for the old textured paper cover.

(Or was that another mag?).

'Twas YM.

I think the papercovertexturiser machine at the printers broke down terminally and YM was the only taker for a new one, which wouldn't have made economic sense.

Mind you, I miss it too.......

 

[little_roundtop]

I now no longer put titles on the front of my films - just cut to the quick

who wants 30 seconds of

this film is made by Ken Russel

cameraman is slarty bartfast

thanks to Aunty Jean for the make-up

[Pedantic mode on]
Hurrumph.....I think you'll find that Slarty Bartfast was responsible for the "crinkly bits round Norway" when the Earth was constructed. His skill with a camera was never documented I think?
[Pedantic mode off]

Sorry, couldn't resist! Do all your technical staff come from the Hitch Hiker's Guide??

 

[Elemental]

Afraid I'm with the majority here. I used to subscribe, but got tired of articles such as "How to winter lay up" being recycled (well, that was my perception - if not recycled then re-examined frequently). YM are not alone though. Hill walking magazines such as 'Trail' have also lost my support owing to similar characteristics.

Tales of incompetence are also tiring after a while...

However, credit where credit's due. The Crash boat series was innovative and educational. Excellent work IMHO.

I have never understood, why IPC don't try push ahead with new forms of publishing. They don't appear to capitalise on these fora at all - a huge asset going to waste. Instead we have an uninspiring, 'out of the box' vanilla forum, that appears to be very much run on a hobby basis. I want to be able to watch / listen to and read high quality content via e-readers, tablet pc's, podcasts etc - not just on printed media. I'd like to comment on / discuss articles in-situ. I believe paper magazines are in permenant decline - and unless the incumbents adapt quickly to properly embrace new technologies and a new audience, they'll get left behind.

 

[armchairsailor]

Do all your technical staff come from the Hitch Hiker's Guide??

From the evidence of previous posts the Winter Corp (TM) is truly without limits...

I remember the textured covers from my youth - funny how things like that stay with you.

 

[snooks]

55p in August 1978... gosh, that's inflation for you

Using an inflation calculator, that's about £2.45 nowadays!

The didn't have to pay for my pork pies back then!!!

 

[dylanwinter]

Slarty Bartfast

[Pedantic mode on]
Hurrumph.....I think you'll find that Slarty Bartfast was responsible for the "crinkly bits round Norway" when the Earth was constructed. His skill with a camera was never documented I think?
[Pedantic mode off]

Sorry, couldn't resist! Do all your technical staff come from the Hitch Hiker's Guide??

aha

but no-where in the book did it say that he was not a cameraman

- and given his extensive range of skills I am sure that he had a good eye for composition

While I was on Farming Today I interviewed a bloke from the forestry commission - it was his job to design the plantations so that they more or less followed the gullies up the hills so that they more or less looked natural

more of the less if you ask me

but I did ask him if he was conversant with Slarty bartfast and his work.

"of course", came the reply, "one of the greats"

so for the rest of the week on farming Today we decided to slip the name of one HHGTTG character each day into the prog

no idea if people noticed our little games

the toughest was when we decided to slip the word crocodile into every program for a week

I assume no-one noticed the crocodile references either

mispronounce the word schedule and they will be onto straight away

d

 

[little_roundtop]

aha

but no-where in the book did it say that he was not a cameraman

- and given his extensive range of skills I am sure that he had a good eye for composition

While I was on Farming Today I interviewed a bloke from the forestry commission - it was his job to design the plantations so that they more or less followed the gullies up the hills so that they more or less looked natural

more of the less if you ask me

but I did ask him if he was conversant with Slarty bartfast and his work.

"of course", came the reply, "one of the greats"

so for the rest of the week on farming Today we decided to slip the name of one HHGTTG character each day into the prog

no idea if people noticed our little games

the toughest was when we decided to slip the word crocodile into every program for a week

I assume no-one noticed the crocodile references either

mispronounce the word schedule and they will be onto straight away

d