Boat Reviews

[sailorboy1]

Has anyone ever read a professional written boat revew that was negative?

On a recent brand bash someone posted a review video, which I didn't open as I've bever seen/read one that really said anything.

Seems that if you took a standard boat "review" and changed maybe 15% of the words if can be changed to any boat model made.

When researching my current boat I paid for a review from Practical Sailor thinking that it would be more than the standard ad type review because of who they were. But it really wasn't and didn't even really address some of the items they talked about in the start of te review. Guess it did prove that a Hunter 410 buyer would be willing to waste $19.95.

So professional reviews seem worthless as being overly positive. While of course forum reviews from people who haven't even been on a boat are negative. And reviews from owners are disregarded because afterall what would they know?

[Factor]

As a writer for Multihull World magazine I have certainly written a couple that were not complimentary, I recall finishing one review with words to the effect that I wouldn't sail that particular boat out of swimming distance from land.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Has anyone ever read a professional written boat revew that was negative?

On a recent brand bash someone posted a review video, which I didn't open as I've bever seen/read one that really said anything.

Seems that if you took a standard boat "review" and changed maybe 15% of the words if can be changed to any boat model made.

When researching my current boat I paid for a review from Practical Sailor thinking that it would be more than the standard ad type review because of who they were. But it really wasn't and didn't even really address some of the items they talked about in the start of te review. Guess it did prove that a Hunter 410 buyer would be willing to waste $19.95.

So professional reviews seem worthless as being overly positive. While of course forum reviews from people who haven't even been on a boat are negative. And reviews from owners are disregarded because afterall what would they know?

Owners tend to be less forthcoming about the shortfalls of their "baby"......PO's on the other hand far more forthcoming

I kinda share your frustation - but perhaps am less demanding? Will largely settle on a Review getting the LOA right - a bonus for any pointers on areas to look at. and some nice pics always goes down well ......but not expecting a single source to provide all my answers.

But I do appreciate that a bit of "get off bum" is nowadays unfashionable within a Spoon based society.......

.....which takes me nicely into folk who require "advice" (aka hand holding? / reassurance for already made decisions? ) only from those who have been on a specific boat model (and year and colour ) whilst doing exactly the same as an OP wants to do (is doing?), with the same skillset and resources......unsurprisingly folk often then get dissapointed and a tad uppity when responses come (primarily ) from other folks - but that be the nature of Forums ..........For a specific answer from only a tightly defined audience there is the Blog - from which unwanted advice can be deleted. (i.e. "don't care what the boat is, but in an offshore storm want to make sure your bulkheads don't flex (before leaving port)" etc etc).

But FWIW, for me this is a good basic Review (of a Seadog 30):-

Seadog 30 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

and this not so bad either

More Seadog Info - "Wayluya" Seadog!


IMO, together (especially as from different sources) they provide a better overall picture than either on there own.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Factor

As a writer for Multihull World magazine I have certainly written a couple that were not complimentary, I recall finishing one review with words to the effect that I wouldn't sail that particular boat out of swimming distance from land.

How did it read when it came out in print?

[Factor]

The same - I had a deal with the publisher, I wouldn't publish a multi mag if he didn't write / rewrite my stories.

[jannw]

Manufacturers pay for advertising in magazines. Magazines that review their advertisers products poorly tend to loose advertisers. Magazines seem to exist to spruik the products of their advertisers. You can do the math.

[Factor]

And yet Top Gear is possibly the most acerbic and yet most commercially successful show (albeit on cars) in the world. Seems their maths is different to yours.

Magazines also have to sell magazines, not that the subscription is the most important part of the business model, but if only two people buy it then advertisers wont advertise. So if the mag is a mouthpiece for the advertisers then it will quickly loose its readers and thus ultimately its advertising revenue. - Thats also a different maths.

[Vasco]

Just like Cruising Worlds BOTY. Advertisers rule!

[jannw]

Top Gear is a BBC production ... it doesn't care about advertisers as they do not pay for its existence, the UK public purse funds it.

[Factor]

I was referring to the magazine - which does have advertising, and the show in australia is on commercial TV. Sorry - I should have been more precise.

[Polux]

Well, the truth is that as in cars there is no more bad boats anymore. The competition is so hard that the boats have to be good for the brand to survive.

I read a lot of magazines in several languages and the truth is that the European ones are a lot more critical than the American ones.

I would say that by reading a review of a boat on an American Magazine you will learn very little about the differences of that boat regarding the competition. Not so on many European magazines that in many cases test several boats at the same time in the water and give comparative results.

Assuming that all major brand boats are well designed (all by great NA) most of the time it is not about if a boat is bad or good but about to explicit the kind of compromises each take. Between several boats different sailors, even testing all boats in the same conditions, will chose different boats, because they value more or less different things.

There are some magazines better than others, but a lot of them are good in Europe. The best is the biggest, the German magazine "Yacht" and I would put next the "French Voile and Voiliers". I also like the Italian "Giornale della vela". You have a good one in English, in what regards boat testing, "Yachting World" that you can sign on line on Zinio.

Regarding the German "yacht" you can download for 2€ any of its test, in fact you can download several tests by 2€. The test list is quite impressive:

Download*|*YACHT.DE

The YachtingWorld also has a download test service but its more expensive.

Perhaps one of the things that make European magazines more free to criticize is its lesser dependence from publicity. Look at the price of the subscriptions of American sail magazines on Zinio: they practically offer the magazine that is already paid by publicity. Not so with European magazines that are several times more expensive. They are not paid only by publicity but by clients and if the boat tests are crap they would not buy it, they would just buy another.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Polux

Well, the truth is that as in cars there is no more bad boats anymore. The competition is so hard that the boats have to be good for the brand to survive.

I read a lot of magazines in several languages and the truth is that the European ones are a lot more critical than the American ones.

I would say that by reading a review of a boat on an American Magazine you will learn very little about the differences of that boat regarding the competition. Not so on many European magazines that in many cases test several boats at the same time in the water and give comparative results.

Assuming that all major brand boats are well designed (all by great NA) most of the time it is not about if a boat is bad or good but about to explicit the kind of compromises each take. Between several boats different sailors, even testing all boats in the same conditions, will chose different boats, because they value more or less different things.

There are some magazines better than others, but a lot of them are good in Europe. The best is the biggest, the German magazine "Yacht" and I would put next the "French Voile and Voiliers". I also like the Italian "Giornale della vela". You have a good one in English, in what regards boat testing, "Yachting World" that you can sign on line on Zinio.

Regarding the German "yacht" you can download for 2€ any of its test, in fact you can download several tests by 2€. The test list is quite impressive:

Download*|*YACHT.DE

The YachtingWorld also has a download test service but its more expensive.

Perhaps one of the things that make European magazines more free to criticize is its lesser dependence from publicity. Look at the price of the subscriptions of American sail magazines on Zinio: they practically offer the magazine that is already paid by publicity. Not so with European magazines that are several times more expensive. They are not paid only by publicity but by clients and if the boat tests are crap they would not buy it, they would just buy another.

As a European, I would not agree with that view. Most European reviews suffer exactly the same problems as their American counterparts, that is they have to keep their advertisers onside. Most reviews might mention minor critics, but most of these reviews are anything more then advertising.

Top gear by the way is a fully commercial enterprise the BBC just buy it , like any other show they buy.

Dave

[Polux]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

As a European, I would not agree with that view. Most European reviews suffer exactly the same problems as their American counterparts, that is they have to keep their advertisers onside. Most reviews might mention minor critics, but most of these reviews are anything more then advertising.

Top gear by the way is a fully commercial enterprise the BBC just buy it , like any other show they buy.

Dave

Well, You have the right to disagree, but as I have said, British magazines even if better than Americans are not particularly good and they are becoming worse (I subscribed many years YachtingMonthly, not anymore) but as I have said there are some good magazines out there, specially the biggest one "Yacht", the German one.

Anyway I am not saying that they have not care into saying openly bad about a boat, but if you pay attention you pretty much get the message. They are a long way of being advertising only...and the American big ones like Cruising Magazine or Sail are a lot less critical than the good European ones.

Of course this is only my opinion but I read regularly magazines from 7 different countries

Manuel

[speedoo]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Just like Cruising Worlds BOTY. Advertisers rule!

Right. I stopped paying attention to that "award" decades ago.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Polux

Well, You have the right to disagree, but as I have said, British magazines even if better than Americans are not particularly good and they are becoming worse (I subscribed many years YachtingMonthly, not anymore) but as I have said there are some good magazines out there, specially the biggest one "Yacht", the German one.

Anyway I am not saying that they have not care into saying openly bad about a boat, but if you pay attention you pretty much get the message. They are a long way of being advertising only...and the American big ones like Cruising Magazine or Sail are a lot less critical than the good European ones.

Of course this is only my opinion but I read regularly magazines from 7 different countries

Manuel

Actually in my opinion the best sailing mags in the world are produced in the US. Mags like ocean navigator, blue water sailing. Lat 38, Good old boat, practical sailor. ( even L &A, for the pictures!) No equivalents exist elsewhere

Dave