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>And while SA is certainly an entertaining website and forum, it's not for the faint of heart.
[Chuck Lanning made this remark apropos a remark in another thread about Web sites that have lost their original information-sharing purpose. I'm starting another thread because a discussion of SA isn't directly related to the original thread, and there are bound to be other thoughts on the matter.]
SA is a curious case, inasmuch as its forum manages to be both an exchange of information and arguably the most annoying example of the braying of idiots in Web sailing sites (arguably only because some of the cruising sites, while less shrill, manage to bring together at least as many blowhards and opinionated ignoramuses).
The real problem with SA, though, is what it has done to a lot of other yachting journalism. Just as every seventies journalist without a clue wanted to be 'gonzo' -- a clumsy imitation of Hunter S. Thompson's humour and venom without the underlying intelligence and the genuine anger about the contemporary political situation, a distressing number of yachting writers want to be SA clones. In practice, this usually means being gratuitously rude about anything you don't find fantastic; regattas are slagged for allowing boats that won't do 20 kt., for not being Newport or Key West or because the locals don't tug their forelocks at sailing rock stars (forgetting that fame in sailing could be an adjunct to the Witness Protection Program). Sailing World has got a bad case of this, and in consequence I no longer subscribe -- I long ago quit reading their boat tests/puff pieces and I can read Dick Rose's rules column before going to the checkout at the supermarket.
If I want attitude, I'll talk to teenagers; when I read sailing mags, I want news about sailing. SA has made it more difficult to separate the two.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Last edited by (2011-01-24 06:59:19)
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
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Amen to that David. I still monitor SA because they do actually come up with real news from time to time, occasionally offer up a good video clip and, best of all, sometimes feature really stupendous sailing pics from the likes of Carlo Borlenghi. On the other hand, their disdain for anything under $80K or 50 ft., unless it is equipped with foils, drives me crazy. This applies to most of the magazines too, which I now collectively refer to as "boat porn". I reserve my dollars for "Good Old Boat" and "Gam" which offer feature articles and discussions of interest to the average guy. Some of the British magazines are also quite good, just terribly pricey on this side of the pond. I was particularly incensed by one article on SA which discussed hauling a "4-knot shitbox" through some passes in the Rockies to an inland lake. The accompanying photos revealed the "shitbox" in question to be a decent-looking C&C 27. As a point of interest, I have attained sustained speeds of more than 7.5 knots and have surfed Carriden at over 10 knots (according to the Garmin GPS).
I find it especially ironic when they start to blather on about the need to save sailing, while dissing any working stiff who scrimps to keep his classic plastic afloat. Without this site, and other similar owners' association sites, we regular guys would have a far tougher time of it than we already do. So, let's be patient with each other, supportive of the newbies, and work at keeping our aging mistresses floating and functional. As a passing point of interest, the January 2011 issue of "Good Old Boat" has an excellent article about rebuilding an Atomic 4. It was written by Rob Mazza, who has a long association with C&C.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Marcus Opitz,
Formerly from Carriden, Mk III, Hull #847,
now skippering "Everdina," a 1975 Ontario 32
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I said it was entertaining...
Anyhow there are plenty of pearls of wisdom among the diaspora there. Try the Cruising forum or the Fix-it forum for actual advice and information. Bob Perry hangs out on the CA forum -- lots of interesting nuggets there. West System is represented on the Fix-it forum, so the advice is usually pretty good.
The actual SA forum (there are several forums there, if you didn't know, including Sailing, Fix-it, Cruising, Sport Boat, America's Cup, Dinghy, as well as General and a few more) is where a lot of useless comments abound (I don't count General because it's not exclusively sailing related).
The SA forum is still the best place for racing rules questions. There are a few people who are eminently qualified and provide clear answers, and very quickly (BalticBandit, among others). There are lots of posters who just blather and insult you as well.
And anything that isn't a sportboat will be referred to as a 4ksb -- so what, who cares. Lots of the forum posters there own old boats. That, along with the traditional SA welcome for forum newbies, is just part of the "culture" there. Pretty much anyone on that site would rather have a mediocre day on the water instead of a good day at the office.
I read the article on moving the C&C 27 -- apart from the obligatory reference to it as a 4ksb, it was a pretty positive piece about a few guys moving a 27 to her new home.
Anyhow I still subscribe to the theory that I won't post anything that I wouldn't say in person. My username is not very anonymous. I post my club name. You could find my home phone number inside five minutes. Not everyone goes by that mantra.
SA can be entertaining, but don't take anything you see there personally. And like any advice given to you, it's only worth what you pay for it. If you don't like it, stay away -- otherwise there are positive things about that site -- if you look for them!
Cheers,
Chuck
Chuck Lanning
NSC, Ottawa
Last edited by (2011-01-26 08:53:39)
Chuck Lanning
C&C 27 Mk V, Chivas & Champagne
NSC, Ottawa
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