Maybe they can make a fair profit at their current price. If they sell more it may even lead to cheaper prices since they can buy the cloth in bulk. And there is nothing better than cheap and fair prices to get "word of mouth" marketing for zero increased costs.leftfield said:I suspect that if Intensity's sales continue to grow, they will reach a point where they either have to cease selling direct, or increase the price to cover the increased costs of running fully fledged marketing, sales, manufacturing and distribution operations. With the demand that they have, price rises are inevitable anyway, unless they really are in it just for the love and not the money.
leftfield said:To start with, the class would have to provide measurement diagrams for sailmakers to use. The class would need an influx of measurers with new skills to be able to measure all of these sails. Have you waited in a queue at a major regatta to get your boat and equipment measured lately? Takes a while? How much longer do you think it would take if you had to get the sail measured as well?
Rob B said:You're still missing my point. Hyde and North can still be the source, but remove the builder and "dealers" from the food chain. Laser class still gets their class money, the customer deals directly with the loft and we save $$$'s. Just like most OD classes.
The builder still sells the boats, spars, pieces/parts through the dealers and they can keep pushing rigging and gear that gets updated every year. The sailors get a price break on the sails. I think this would be good for the class.
Arguments to this philosphy?
iped said:I fell that anybody that races top level is doing so and know the costs,thus they are paying for them selfs.Also anybody that is raceing at A club level that has not the inclination (nothing wrong with enjoying your self) to compete in A bigger pool are cost conscious. So what is wrong with letting the system that is now in place continue
Rob B said:I make a motion. The Laser class needs to shop for a source that can provide our existing class legal sails for this price and hold it for 3 years. I'd bet they could find one in a week.
Laser76489 said:I agree to a point but how is your local dealer going to stay in buisness if not supported. I like my Intensty sail but I do struggle with it from an ethics prospective
OliLaser said:If You stuggle with an ethics prospective, llok at it this way. North sails made in Sri Lanka employ children! They sri lanken sails are made by people who's who family put together couldn't even afford to buy a laser! I'm all for geting laser sails from someplace other than North or Hyde. All other clases have more than 2 sailmakers which you can buy sails off. Hell even optis have more than 2 different sailmakers.
GTChris said:Although I'm all for a different (ie cheaper) source, your ethical argument makes very little sense. Are you saying you would like to put those Sri Lankans out of work? However little they make now, they wouldn't be taking the job if it wasn't their best option. Who are we to say they shouldn't have that oppurtunity? The sweatshop argument holds very little water when you compare the alternatives. What kind of favor are you doing the Sri Lankans by trying to take away the best jobs they can find?
In fact one could argue that by NOT buying North Sails, you are helping to starve Sri Lankan children. I wouldn't make that argument of course, but perhaps you see my point.
Dear Chris,
You are a perfect example of how ignorant Americans (Canada included) are. You say it is better to have a job that pays very little instead of no job at all right? First off is have you ever been to a north loft. I have been to one in Canada and it is pretty much a sewat shop there, and that is in CANADA!!!! I have never been to the North plant in Sri Lanka. However I have been to Sri Lanka and observed some of the working conditions. The word Slavery comes to mind, ever seen armed gaurds and birbed wire fences at your work??? The people who work in these kinds of places make just enough to food themselves. That is fine right? Worng you see most workers are not children but mothers of multiple children, who also need feeding. Wait a minute the worker makes enough to feed themsleves but theres still 2 others. I don't no if you took world economics in a university or coledge, but I have, we have had lectures on this exact topic(not with sails) basicaly the point of the lectures was that sweatshops make the people worse off than if they didn't work there.
https://cleanclothes.org/urgent/02-12-05.htm
http://www.cleanclothes.org/companies/northsails-05-08.htm
http://www.evb.ch/index.cfm?page_id=2677
http://www.evb.ch/en/p25002547.html includes wages as 63 to 73 euro per MONTH think about that 150$ US a month to buy food, for lets say 3 people, to buy water and shelter and clothing. If you spent all your money on food it works out to 5$ a day for one person and about $1.66 a day for a family of 3 I don't even know if you could buy anything at my local supermarket for 1.66$
49208 said:I'm calling BS. We have had this discussion before and it's obvious you are clueless as far as the workers at North Sails in Sri Lanka, their working conditons and their wages.
OliLaser said:Dear Arogant American http://www.evb.ch/en/p25002547.html
Read that it tells you how much they make its penuts
OliLaser said:Dear Arogant American http://www.evb.ch/en/p25002547.html
Read that it tells you how much they make its penuts
Deimos said:I always get a bit confused by the "keep your local dealer in business" argument. Some things in "your local dealer" can be impulse purchases, others you need now because you have broken something. Sometimes you want to see before you buy, look at different models and chose the nicest/best/etc.
When it comes to Laser sails, what doe s"the local dealer" add. Do they keep them in stock (and if so why, UPS et al can deliver next day !), do they give you a choice (e.g. a Laser sail or a Laser sail or you could chose a Laser sail).
Local dealers are appropriate for some things but just giving them money to keep them in business is daft. I think every sail I have ever purchased (not yet purchased a new Laser sail) has always been directly from the sail maker -but this is in the UK.
Personally, if the sails are shown to conform to the one design measurements and have no performance advantage (i.e. keep to the strict one design rules) then I would be in favour of allowing another sail maker.
However, I assume these Intensity sails are not measured (as I assume proper Laser sails are). How much would the measuring add to the cost of the Intensity sail ?
Ian