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From: Craig (craig@oceangraphics.com.au)
Date: Tue 26 Feb 2002 - 23:50:46 GMT
The following is a reply to Andy, Daves and Victors emails. These are my
opions only, not and Australian one!
First, lets sort out Andy. Andy, after speaking to Jason and Sam about your
comments, we have decided that on your next trip to the land of Aus you will
be placed in our boat-people detention centre for the entire carinval. I'm
sure you have all read in the papers what's happening down here. Who says
Australians don't have a sence of hummour?
Next comes Victor. Victor, I first met you on the bottom of Sandingham boat
harbour and I mean the bottom of the harbour, as the boat you had chartered
had sunk. Boy had they set you up with a clunker. No wonder you are trying
to changes the rules so much to get back at us. I felt so sorry for you I
took you saling for the rest of the series, must say it was fun sailing with
you.
Victor, I don't think the Aussie fleet is against any changes to the boat
for the foreseeable future. What we are against is the demise of the Aussie
fleet in the foreseeable future. In Australia we have been sailing against
other skiff fleets (12, 16, 18s) for over 60 years and have seen what rule
changes have done to some of those classes. 10 or so years ago the 18s were
sailing out of 2 clubs, the Leagues at Rose Bay and the Flying Squadron at
North Sydney. The boats sailing at the Flying Squadron had the big budgets,
some as high as $300,000.00 per year, changing the rules as they went along.
They also kept getting wider and wider. I think they ended up at about 20ft
wide. While the dollars kept coming in the fleet also got bigger, while at
the Leagues Club nobody wanted to sail a boat that was only 14ft wide so
there fleet nearly died. After a couple of years Australia was hit by a
ressession and the dollars dried up. The Flying Squadron boys tried to
finance there boats out of there own pockets, I think this lasted about a
year. In the meantime the powers to be at the Leagues Club got smart,
designed a new 1 design 18 and got it on the water for $32,000.00. These
days I don't think there are any 18s sailing out of the Flying Squadron,
while at the Leagues there fleet is growing hand over foot, as Victor would
know as he was sailing his 18 there at Xmas time.
The 16s also went down the same track as the Flying Squadron boats with the
same results. Now they are nearly all one design with a freeze on hull
designs for seven years. Once again there class is very strong again.
The only class that stayed strong though these times was the Australian 14ft
skiff because of the rules we had in place to stop out of control
development and costs ie: sail nos. masts and foils (1 of each)
Australia has a history of over 100 years in 14s and in all that time the
development has been carried out within the 14ft long, 6ft wide rule.
Why change something that isn't broken
I honestly don't think that by puting foils on rudders and making the boats
wider we are going to get new people into the class in Australia.
On the other hand Victor I don't think Australia has a hope in hell of
banning the foiled rudder. It is also the first time I am having doubts
about where the class I love so much is going?
Now Victor (and this is my view only) your idea of the use of the foils
being put back (if they get passed) to after the worlds in Japan makes a lot
of sense to me. It would give us all time to find out if:
1: They are actually a benfit to the class ie: cost
2: Do they make the boat go faster or maybe those who are using them are
just as fast without them
3: Are they a pig to steer with
4: And finally It would give everyone a chance to go to the worlds in Japan
sail without them, but see and talk to those who have been using them to
find out which is the better design, and also by that time cost might not be
such an issue.
Finally Dave: Look after that crew of yours because without him we wouldn't
have a webmaster for the 14s and no one would know what was going on. Come
to think about it Dave how about finding a new crew!(Aussie joke)
AUS400
Paddy Wagon
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