RIB Int - Rayglass Protector A serious question

[Phil]

The current issue of Rib Int carries an article (advert?) for the new diesel 10.5m Protector written by "New Zealands most experienced marine journalist.."

"I have driven..Protectors in everything from glassy smooth water to horrendous seas...."

"I doubt there is a better RIB in the rough...."

"If you thought the 850 Protector was a great boat then you are going to love the 10.5m"

well fantastic ,looks just the boat for me -extended cruise in Europe (yep still planning) BUT, BUT

Rib Int Issue 84 contains a review of the 850 out of Poole by Simon Everett and Hugo MS and I quote

""A big RIB like this,with all weather protection should be able to deal with such conditions with easae. The truth is,she didn't"

AND"At one point the bow tube was bending back,and I had to be quick to ease the power fearful of tearing the tube off the bow...."

So explain to me what to make of these two conflictimg reports. OK my quotes are taken out of the 2 reviews but read them and you will not fail to see the obvious

Should RIB Int have commented on thier previous review?

[jwalker]

Take em all with a pinch of salt imho Phil.

[RJH]

I know I'll probably never buy one but I did look forward to reading the "test" as advertised on the front cover. Disappointed to see little more than a shortened version of a brochure with hardly any critical appraisal as one would expect from a test.

Should have been entitled "advertisment" as you see in some publications that produce similar sorts of articles.

[biffer]

thats rib international for you, glad to see they haven't dropped there standards!!!!!

[two stroke mick]

I think RI used to be a good mag. But I feel that in the last 18 24 mths the standard has slipped. Thus I did not renew my subs

TSM

[jambo]

I feel I must agree with TSM in relation to RI. I rec'd my latest copy yesterday and I am again sadly dissapointed, I agree some two years ago it was still a good publication with some good articles, mbut lately the content apart from going down the toilet is also dissapearing as it seems to be about half the size!
I also would like to agree with Phil in that I thought it really funny reading the advert in the current issue and remembering well the very strong article penned by HS in RI. Where is the honesty especially when you are suposedly writing a publication for 'users' of the end product who will use the said subject in adverse conditions where lifes could be at stake.
J

[biffer]

never did think it was good, too biased towards the people who advertised in it.

[Ian M]

Originally Posted by biffer

never did think it was good, too biased towards the people who advertised in it.

Unless your name is Laurence

[Cypman]

I have copies of RIB International going all the way back to 2003. It is my view that the current and more recent editions have gradually moved away from being an "informative" product to what is now almost solely an "advertising" glossy .
Indeed, it has been indicated to me that RIB Manufacturers may have to pay to get Boat Tests of their products included in the magazine. If this is true then it would explain the apparent bias and move away from informative journalism.
It really is a great shame that the magazine has changed, RIB International has been the foremost RIB magazine for many years and I for one would wish to see it return to the old style. I realise that HMS has to run a commercially viable publication but maybe he can take note of our views.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jambo

I also would like to agree with Phil in that I thought it really funny reading the advert in the current issue and remembering well the very strong article penned by HS in RI. Where is the honesty especially when you are suposedly writing a publication for 'users' of the end product who will use the said subject in adverse conditions where lifes could be at stake.
J

In fairness though can people not have different opinions? For example, I've heard people claim Delta are some of the best sea boats out there, and then other equally respected people say they are a rough, wet and unpleasant ride in poor conditions. Then I hear people rave about Redbay's and others tell me that the details aren't as good as the reputation would suggest, and others have commented that their famous canopy can be "diesel fumey" at low speed. If the person has a brand association (and the blurb in the article makes it clear that the author of the latest article does have an affinity for Rayglass Protectors) then they are more likely to write a "loyal articel".

It would be no different if you asked Codders to write a review of a landrover... someone else might right a review that is "surprised" that its doesn't actually deliver as much as the reputation would suggest, then codders would come along a few months later and say "if you though the old one was good - this is even better".

Of course all magazine editors need to think carefully about how they balance what the reader / subscriber wants to see with what advertisers want. I would say that ALL magazines are suffering from a fall in advertising revenue which means that advertisers can be a bit more demanding... but they also seem to be suffering from lack of real content which I don't understand as the proportion of the cost for each page must be tiny?

[Phil]

I have no problem about people having different opinions but I do think that where the owners of the mag have some quite harsh words about a product it is encumbent upon them to mention that fact if they are publishing an article which clearly contradicts the previous view

Not that you are going to buy on the back of such a review but it is plainly unintelligent and patronising towards the readers to deal with it in this way

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Phil

I have no problem about people having different opinions but I do think that where the owners of the mag have some quite harsh words about a product it is encumbent upon them to mention that fact if they are publishing an article which clearly contradicts the previous view

agreed - but I think the problem there is that the Editor is doing too much writing an not enough editing... ...its unusual to see the Editor of any publication be the author of so many articles.

[chewy]

Thing with boats is the ride qulaity can be down to the helmsman too, get a poor helm and the ride will be poor.
RIBINT has gone downhill, again my opinion. It did seem good when I first started buying it years ago.
Its not the only boat mag thats poor now though. I buy quite a few and tend to find the same review appearing in different mags different months almost word perfect.

Land Rovers are the best 4x4, eveyone knows that!

[willk]

Originally Posted by Polwart

and others have commented that their famous canopy can be "diesel fumey" at low speed.

ewe nyoe it myakks synse polly reemymbir thyose tryps in de ole hatchbak wit the lyd up

[Poly]

Originally Posted by willk

ewe nyoe it myakks synse polly reemymbir thyose tryps in de ole hatchbak wit the lyd up

It makes perfect sense - but its not something that the Redbay disciples shout about.

As it happens I only drove a hatchback with the boot open once, and it wasn't at slow speed... ...the boot opended spontaneously on the motorway. That woke me up!

[Chuckles99]

I whole heartedly agree with the above comments. About 2 months ago I sent an email to RIB International RE content. It seemed that the magazine was veering towards a RIB version of Yachting World-geared to those super yacht owners, of whom I would imagine make up no more than 1% of the magazine's readers. I suggested that the team take a look at a Yachting Monthly magazine and parallel its incredibly useful advice regarding seamanship, boat handling etc. I also suggested articles like second hand boat tests and more restoration projects etc.

The reply contained a number of reasonable explanations, the most prominent being that the RIB International Team is a 1 man Team! I think HMS needs help regarding articles and ideas and he welcomed anyone to submit there experiences.

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by Chuckles99

The reply contained a number of reasonable explanations, the most prominent being that the RIB International Team is a 1 man Team! I think HMS needs help regarding articles and ideas and he welcomed anyone to submit there experiences.

Around 4 years ago I cancelled my subscription to RI for the very reason everyone is talking about, and somebody other than HMS contacted me asking why. I was honest, blunt and didn't receive a reply again, just another std reminder that my subscrition had ended. My comments obviously didn't even register as important.

At the time we had a discussion on here about starting a Practical Boat Owner style mag for RIBs, as that's what it appeared eveyone wanted, but we were all to busy to consider doing it ourselves.

However I'd like to defend HMS on this occasion.
I've recently submitted some stuff to HMS and I'm hoping that once I get some images together he'll be publishing them. I won't go into details about the brief emails we've traded, but I am certain it is now something he is aware of and is activly trying to balance the content of the magazine.

Nasher.

[Jizm]

Originally Posted by Chuckles99

The reply contained a number of reasonable explanations, the most prominent being that the RIB International Team is a 1 man Team!

Don't think so...

[biffer]

i can't believe rib international are a "1 man team", if it is he should stop treating the guys who build and design these ribs as his piggy bank and start to listen to them after all without them he would have nothing to write about, there are plenty of good people willing to input into a good mag.

[alystra]

I've noticed a change in RibInt too and generally agree with the comments so far. I'm sure the current economic climate has contributed much to the change. I seem to recall that HMS said as much in an editorial a while ago.

I can believe that RibInt is more or less a one man band. Most special interest mags are as there is little profit in them really. The 'big' mags - Yachting World, Yachting Monthly, Practical Boat Owner, etc., are part of large publishing houses and they can share much of the admin staff and some of the feature writers. The actual editorial staff, per mag is maybe only two or three people. Those mags have a much bigger circulation and readership than RibInt. As an independent mag, RibInt is always going to struggle.

From what I glean from the mag, I would imagine that HMS's real job, the one that pays, is organising RIBEX so his time on RibInt will have to be rationed.

Quite a while ago now, I used to write articles for YM and PBO. Some were published, and bits of others were pinched and put into editorial columns etc. I was asked by YM to do a series of articles and started on them, but life got in the way (newborn) and I couldn't spare the time and had to stop. Writing publishable articles is not easy and is hard work (unless you're gifted).

More recently I emailed HMS and asked for a contribution guide, thinking I'd start again. Immediate positive reply, stating high quality pics were paramount. I emailed some examples, he couldn't open the attachments. I tried again, twice. No response. I just didn't follow it up any more and the idea faded away. Obviously, I was not sure enough about my subject matter to persevere. HMS must get this all the time.

Lots and lots of people say they will write articles for magazines, but when it comes to the crunch, how many actually do? Not many I suspect, and of those, not many will be publishable, or in the mags 'house style', or the pictures are rubbish or non existant, or the author realises how much time it takes to write and how little he's going to get paid. And he just gives up, like I did this time, at the first hurdle.

I'm sure HMS would love a list of reliable and literate contributors with interesting ideas, from whom he could commission articles and copy. He just doesn't seem to have any. Could it be that his small publication can't pay them enough - or at all?