Luc - I hope Harrys don't get a bad rap like the "Flying Flea"
Fedor - I'm looking forward to what comes out of this thread
iPhones aside to me the HP concept is an ideal budget cruising platform
for a couple or solo sailor wanting fast, safe passages (who wouldn't)
and don't mind being different.Like me I think a reluctance issue may be
lurking in some minds right or wrong as to the seaworthiness of a Harry
as there is not much evidence or information on their blue water
capabilities.
It's all well and good to have the engineering done but proof of concept
is need and lots of it.
Racing is the other obvious area where the HP concept may have an
advantage, and that's were Rob's attention seems to be with his own HP
It would defiantly be a good way to get the concept more widely accepted
Rob Rassy
--- In harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au, "fvonballuseck" wrote:
>
> Hi Luc
>
> The survey is doing well - 15 responses so far and interesting.
> I think it may prove some good discussion for this forum. I'll give it
a few more days before I pull out some ideas to share.
>
> One there seem to be 2-3 distinct 'user profiles' showing up - which
may help tailor the boat and/or design efforts. As the needs are
probably clear once they have been defined. Maybe we can further grow
the 'Gestalt' - as you say.
> I hope that some overlapping needs start to appear and maybe people in
this forum can pool together to make it happen - quite a few are 'very
close'. (some years ago a group of people were not satisfied with the
C31 and bundled investments in the north of the Netherlands and had a
small series of Farrier F9's built. That may be your 'bootstrap
question'
>
> I am not sure if we can create an iPhone of sailing - but based upon
the questions I do think I can think of aspects I would definitely
improve in the 'marketing mix'. For example the rudder/leeway question
still looms large in many people's answers. (Despite the limited
engineering challenge.) I think we could debunk a lot of myths and
circulating selective memories with a bit of focussed effort.
>
> Cheers!
> Fedor
>
> for those who like to contribute to generating further insights:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2XYGH5F
>
>
> --- In harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au, "LucD" wrote:
> >
> > Fedor, The survey will work all right. The results may not answer
your question. As you said well the harryproa is a concept. It is not a
product. As a matter of fact it is a concept that can make a difference
in a range of products from the small to the large, but it has not found
a killer app in one segment yet. Shunting rules out beachcat fun; the
planform complicates condomarans, just to cover the ends of that range.
> >
> > Technically, HP's are as ready as any planform; even the
rudder/boards issue is not more controversial than with cats and tris
and they have other issues. Then there is the bootstrap issue:
statistically speaking there are too few of HP's around to prove its
engineering advantages to non-engineers. The only proa (recognized as
such) of racing fame was Cheers, not a HP.
> >
> > So, in essence, HP's are stuck in a marketing undertow. A HP product
needs a distinguishing advantage that clears an attention space in the
gestalt fauna and flora of what is a boat to people with the target
expendable budget. The exceptions of RB and BD prove the rule. I do not
know what the selling factor was for RB, but for BD it was day sailing
fast for the blind of a nation hypnotized by the sea, the Dutch. A niche
market if one at all. The Seabattical for chartering looked very
promising. It would be interesting to find out what made it a no-go. My
suspicion is that it was too difficult a sell to a public used to scuba
diving in the bay off Leopard cats and the like.
> >
> > There are parallels in the small airplane market where the elegant
pou-du-ciel controls even in a modern version could not make a dent
against the standard controls of the cessna's and pipers and the like.
> >
> > So, how to come up with the iPhone of the sailboats ;-)
> >
> > --- In harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au, "fvonballuseck" wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi All
> > >
> > > As I see the concept of Harryproa mature and as I get nore and
more interested I am also left with a lot of questions to see how and
when these great boats may take off.
> > > Out of curiosity I have created a short 10 question survey - just
to get a better understanding where Harryproas are and what the
likelyhood is that people will start building (and why). And what are
the biggest questions that are still out there
> > > I'll post the outcome here in the file section once it is done.
> > >
> > > http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2XYGH5F
> > >
> > > Hope this works,
> > > Fedor
> > >
> >
>