Correspondents in Bulletin 174 staunchly defended points I had never criticised, but failed to address the most important issue! We have to bear in mind that too many influential people see cruising in open boats without 'mother ships' or rescue boats as dangerous and irresponsible. While our bulletin cover shows an un-seaworthy boat being sailed irresponsibly it will confirm their views and provide them with evidence to support their views. May I therefore suggest a way forward which could reconcile all our views?

I agree entirely with Duncan Gilchrist's praise for the lovely 14 footer 'Joy'. The spirited photograph in Bulletin 174 shows a shapely and seaworthy boat, with well-set sails, sailed properly in a good breeze, the kind of image the DCA should put across. However likening the 'Joy' to the grotesque drawing on our bulletin cover is like comparing the lovely Kate Winslett to the waddling Clarissa Dickson-Wright! Duncan defends the drawing as being a caricature. Yes, but a cruel and unfair caricature, showing a dozy 'Captain Calamity' in a misshapen boat with baggy sails. DCA members are not like that, (well not most of us, not most of the time!) so why perpetuate this false image?

I am also puzzled by Peter Glover's and David Jones' defence of the cover design. They both sail efficient boats really well (The fine dory that Peter designed and built was as simple, honest and utilitarian as Shaker furniture), so why do they not also want a simple, honest and straightforward bulletin cover? Peter Glover likes the legibility of the bulletin cover lettering. I would rate the 'Helvetica' type used for 'Dinghy Cruising Association' wording as one the finest typefaces in existence, of outstanding legibility for short announcements. My point was that proper spacing and positioning of lettering is even more important in legibility than the letter-form itself.

Since we all seem to be agreed that the 'Joy' photograph is a fair representation of the DCA ideal, why not use that (or a photograph of similar quality) in the bulletin cover design? Cost may well limit us to the present one-colour printing, but photographs can be reduced to black and white (no half-tones) for dramatic effect. Combined with well-chosen, straightforward lettering, well positioned and spaced, we could have a bulletin cover showing dinghy cruising at its best.

This rough sketch is simply an indication of approach, it is NOT a design. A design on these lines could provide us with a cover of similarly high quality as our introductory leaflet (which could not have been better had we gone to a top London agency with an unlimited budget).

Members may have noticed that the 'Joy' does not comply with DCA Boat Safety Recommendation No 4! Suggested amendment - add 'except with very buoyant bows'.

However, the caricature of a new member being welcomed is brilliant; apart from the yachting cap I could believe that it was a caricature of actual members! However I think we should do something about that drawing of a dinghy with tent cover up, illegally moored to a navigation buoy, a danger to navigation. We are not like that, so why this perverse image? All we need do is take out the navigation buoy.