DaySailer.org Forum

Fellow Day Sailors -
This is the text of a letter taken from the Day Sailer Class Association newsletter. It was sent to the Day Sailer Class Association president and it brings up an interesting point. I think it would be good to post it here and see what reactions there are. I know I've gone through similar experiences that Gerald has, and I've observed it here on this web site.

Kind Regards,
Bob Hunkins
Southwestern Regional V.P.
Fleet 25
Text of Message follows:
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Mark Schroeder, President 9-14-01
Day Sailer Association
3855 Yorkshire
Eugene OR 97405
mschroed@lane.k12.or.us

Dear Mark,
While at Annapolis for the NAC regatta, I bent the ears of several DS members I deemed influential in formulating DS Association policy. Most of these VIP's were in agreement on the need to change or modify the name of our boat in order to better promote it to the general public, or at least to that part of the public in the market for a boat.

I really believe we are losing out because of poor boat name recognition. Most people who are thinking about buying a small sailboat don't know that there's a difference between The Day Sailer and a daysailer such as the Flying Scot or the Thistle, for example.

Today, the word "daysailer" is a generic term often used to advertise many boats other than The Day Sailer. One sees it in the newspaper ads all the time. I've called these ads in order to recruit new members for our association. However, it is usually a boat other than The Day Sailer that is being marketed. Someone is going to buy that "daysailer" whereas we've missed an opportunity somewhere along the line to inform them about our Day Sailer because of name confusion.

The importance of name recognition was clearly demonstrated to me the other day white I was telling a neighbor about my trip to Annapolis. I mentioned that I had participated in The Day Sailer National Championship there. His response was, "Oh, great. What kind of daysailer is it, a Lightning"? I tried to explain that The Day Sailer was a class separate from other daysailers such as -you name it - whatever. Finally, I said, "It's an O'Day Day Sailer. It's somewhat like the Rhodes 19 but smaller in length". He said that he knew the O'Day.

The time has come to put the idea of a name change to a vote by the entire membership. My preference is for O'Day Day Sailer 1. Jim Skeen suggested Fox 16 Day Sailer. What ever name is decided upon, it must be a name that will distinguish our Day Sailer from all other daysailers out there.

Sincerely,
Gerald Walton
Florida Regional V.P
Fleet123

Bob Hunkins (rhunkins-at-pdq.net)

DS 1, DS 2, whatever. I've never really found it a problem I guess because I've always refered to it as the O'Day Day Sailer.

MAK
O'-whata- Day
Salamanca, NY

MAKurtis (Emak41-at-excite.com)

I too have encountered this misconception. I had a friend who was telling me about the daysailer that he had owned for a while, when he said daysailer, I assumed Day Sailer.....but it turned out that he had a Tanzer 14! Very few people (even those that should know better!) understand that the Day Sailer is a specific class, daysailer is generic.....Day Sailer is not! As a member of the DSA, I prefer to call my DS II an O'Day Day Sailer, but I was unsure how this would apply to a DS I built by Spindrift, Rebel, Cam Am,
or a DS IV built by Sunfish-Laser or Cape Cod Shipbuilding. Then I thought about a few of my other favorite sailboat designs......the Rhodes 19 (built by O'Day), the Alberg Typhoon (Cape Dory), the Alberg 35 (built by PEARSON, later by Whitby), The Rhodes 18 (Cape Cod Shipbuilding), and the various other classes known by the name of their designer rather than the builder. The Day Sailer I was a hull designed by Uffa Fox that George O'Day developed the cuddy-design for and obtained the building rights for. Thus was born the original "O'Day" and more than 15,000+ boats have been built since. The idea of calling our boats "Fox 16 Day Sailer" does not seem to have the same familiar ring as "O'Day Day Sailer". Incidently, it is alleged that Uffa Fox did not approve of the addition of the cuddy to his design, whether this is true...I'm not sure, but it is interesting to note that after George O'Day sold his company to Bangor Punta in the 1960's, he continued to operate a company importing and selling various small boats (Gemico) and one of those boats was the "O'Day 17". This was essentially a Day Sailer without the cuddy, sort of looked like a larger version of the Javelin.

Rod Johnson, "SUNBIRD" (rjohnson24-at-juno.com)

I recently discussed this with a long time sailing friend of mine. He has a fence construction business:

Interesting similarity....... A Stockade fence is generally a 6' high wooden fence. The pickets are approx. 3" across and about 1/2" thick. One side of the picket is flat and the other is rounded to give it a log look. The pickets are mounted on three 2"x3" horizontal runners (backers).

Most everyone who calls me looking for a 6' fence asks for a "Stockade" fence. Apon further discussion you learn that they really want a 6' high vertical board fence aka Privacy fence or Solid Board fence and NOT a stockade fence. These fence pickets are of 1"x6" pressure treated pine and are mounted on 2"x4".

The fence industry has not started a mass renaming campainge. We are greatfull for the phone calls from the customers. We use the received phone calls to educate the customers and sell them either way.

So what if everyone confuses the name with all the other boats or uses the name in a generic sense. The O'Day Daysailer was the original, all others are copies. They say that imatations are the greatest fattery.

I don't see how having a bunch of uneducated sailors running around a boat show looking for a Daysailer would somehow take away from the name. I would think the constant saying of the word Daysailer and using this name is sailing circles, in generic terms or not, would only help, and has probably helped, to keep the boat so popular.


MAKurtis (Emak41-at-excite.com)