It is the first detailed study on the subject in this country. Its initiator, Dr Wolf-Dieter Mell, is convinced that the shipyards will not be able to avoid taking the results to heart. What's more, not only older, but also younger sailors would benefit.
For years, Mell has been addressing the problem that many yacht designs are hardly adapted to the needs of older sailors. He is the founder of the Bonn Institute for Boat Tourism and head of the Research Association for Sports and Leisure Boating in Cologne, which is part of the German Water Sports Industry Association. He knows that as you get older, it's not just mobility that you lose. The ability to concentrate on several things at once also diminishes.
But should you give up sailing just because of that? No! In Mell's opinion, just like the car manufacturers, the large series shipyards in particular should adapt better to their most important clientele. To date, however, there has been a lack of concrete technical data, such as the optimum seat height in the saloon and cockpit, how steep a companionway staircase can be or how high handrails should be installed.
Mell has now determined all this data and more in collaboration with Kiel University - and is making it available to yacht designers. As a result, he hopes that yachts will be even more comfortable to operate in future. Joystick control is just one aspect of many.
Everyone else would also benefit from the added convenience, not just the elderly. They are dependent on the improvements in order to be able to continue practising their hobby. The young - i.e. 40 to 60-year-olds - on the other hand, could fully enjoy the increased comfort. They don't necessarily need it yet, but it won't bother them either.
The specific details of Mell's study can now be read in the new issue of YACHT (issue 4/2012, available from newsagents now).
Pascal Schürmann
Editor YACHT
