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mosquito


wildtoy

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hi William,

I've been around a fair few years, sailed a fair few types of boats, and I don't believe "people don't like mosquito's". I have allways found them to be among the best "duo" boats, able to be cat rigged or sloop. The coming of the Taipan took many sailors from this kind of boat, but there will allways be good sailors on good boats coming forward, and the boat numbers at the nationals and states prove this.

keep thinking positively.

pete smile.gif

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Pete,

Everytime Someone mentions The mosquito I hear people knock them saying that there old and you cant readily buy parts for them.

I dont think people realise that They are still getting built today in kevlar and double glass and you can source parts from any boating shop rather than having to go to the one place to buy parts.

The boats today are alot better built and are alot easier to sail than the old wooden boats.

So I dont know why people keep on saying to stay away from them, they are still keeping to their YS which is making them a very competative boat esp. now with the kite onboard.

Im positive Im just thinking of a way to bring the numbers up in nsw, so Im just trying to get a bit of an Idea on them.

After doing the states in vic. I seriosly dont think Ill be leaving the class in a hurry, really good sailors and people willing to help when needed.

Regards

William

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Hi William,

It's not that people don't like Mosquito's per se, it's the same reason they don't like Cobra's or perhaps Paper Tiger's. There is nothing wrong with any of these boats other than .. if you want one, you have to build it yourself and in this day an age of instant gratification and high wages people are more willing to go to a shop and lay down there dollars and drive off with their boat, no waiting, no fuss and no agony about anything going wrong.

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ps

bugger, I hit the wrong key before I had finished my rant.

The people that say that you can't buy parts any more have obviously never bothered to take the time out to have a look in a boat shop or even mail order places, lets face it, other than the mast just about everything else can be sent through the mail. As for the class being too old, rubbish, if that were really true then we should get rid of Tornado's as well.

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loose change,

Thats where people are not really looking into the mossie to much.

Except for two people who are building their own mossie you can actually buy them brand new now out of double glass or kevlar.

In fact Im buying a three year old boat in the next couple of weeks and I was talking to the builder and he's got orders for 6 new glass mossie's.

Thats what Im trying to try to find out and clarify, Mossies arre still getting built out of glass even for the past 5-8 years if not longer.

If that is what people are worried about then there's nothing to worry about.

cheers

William

nswmossie.com 1635

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As mentioned there is nothing wrong with the mosquito as a class. The class, along with just about ever other class, has been impacted by the general decline in cat sailing since the early 80's in Oz.

Remember back then there was not much competition in terms of people spending disposable income on recreational pursuits. Back in the early 80's there was no PC's or internet, flat screens and home entertainment centres, mobile phones, and ipods. All these distractions are soaking up people's dollars. There is probably a strong correlation with the obesity epidemic and all this high tech stuff becoming available. Kids in general are not being as active and doing things like sailing.

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hi William

That pretty well sums it up in a nutshell. Used to be a time when the parents were out sailing one boat and the kids were out in one that dad had built for them. These days dad can't aford to build a boat any more as Phil pointed out due to less disposable income and a pressure on time (how many families do you of know these days where only the male partner works?) Somehow sailing has to made to be cool and appealing to kids and get them away from the damn X-box.

The club down here in Nowra where I live is nearly dead and the member(s) can holler and shout all they like but the facts are that attendance is falling every year

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What club you sail at.

Been talking to a few ppl about holding a few regatta's hosted by the nsw mossie assoc. and are looking at a few clubs.

Was also looking at having a travellers series for the mossies as well maybe we can run a regatta/race there for you.

Always willing to help a club in need.

I think the problem is really with the mono's, coming from 470's the numbers seem to be growing in the mono's while the cats are losing numbers. Need it to be more appealing some how.

Down at vic. last w/e there where 32 mossies, 12 windrushes, 7/8 dolphins and a stack of arrows. Wonder if its because money is a hell of a lot more prescious up here then what it is interstate.

mossies in vic. go for 5k-11k same mossie will be struggling up for around 4k for a top racer.

my thoughts

William

nswmossie.com 1635

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hi,

Reading all the reasons for declining numbers in fleets,clubs,even social sailing.

I believe it also stems from a lack of publicity,perception and just a downright lack of interest by the so called marine reporters.

We have just had a World Championship series up here in Qld, and the "leading" reporter from the main daily newspaper was not seen or heard or viewed in any way.

I am sure if it had been the ,Yngling,Dragon,Diamond,Flying Fifteen, Flying Dutchman or any other "Prestige" Monohull there would have been stories, pictures, interviews with skippers,crews and any number of daily race reviews,course conditions etc.etc.etc.

You know what I mean, and I am not bigotted or biased or even one eyed .

I love all sailing.

Pete redface.gif

[This message has been edited by xmatelot (edited 15 March 2007).]

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Hey Pete,

That is so true.

I left mono's because there werent any open regattas where you race against other class so its club racing then do states and nationals and thats about it. So I left that and came to cats cause you get to race regatta's against other classes which I think makes it more enjoyable. Its just a pity that as you said reporters just dont give a damn about cat racing. I didnt hear anything about the F18 worlds which was very frustrating. Maybe a few club members from different clubs should approach the tv stations and make them realize that there are other things other than what's happening half way across the world.

Maybe we should start our own magazine for all cat sailors to read.

William

nswmossie.com 1635

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hi William,

There is a good Magazine, it's called "Multihull World"'

At the F18 Worlds, the European press and news where every where every day,interviewing ,photo shoots and all the things I thought that the aussie press would or should do, all i saw on local TV was a few posed shoots and a cat tethered on the resort lagoon, with sailors pretending to be sailing.

80 cats,160 sailors,heaps of backup crews,families etc, nothing reported.

pete frown.gif

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That boat that was tethered on the lagoon was a mates from the club I sail from. Really nice boat that unfortunately is for sale.

Seawind sponsored capricorn. Will be talking to him this sunday about a spinaker setup on the mossie, should be interesting.

William

nswmossie.com 1635

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You will not make a cent starting your own magazine. I am in that game and it is a very very hard one.

You would be better chatting with Vanessa Dudley and Bob Ross at Austrlian Sailing and they will be more than ears. I would suggest a section somewhere in the mag dedicated to catamarans. This may even be a stretch, because some issues there is nothing about skiffs, but sometimes something with cats, or nothing with cats and something on junior classes.

If you offer to help, they would be keen, I am sure.

Starting your own is like flushing money down the toilet.

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