International 14 Mailing List
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From: Ted Rogers (twrogers@earthlink.net)
Date: Thu 29 Jul 1999 - 17:53:13 BST
On racks off the back - I agree that once you go longer than 14 feet, it
opens up an infinite game of "let's go a bit longer." Part of the game is
figuring out how to sail these boats faster and still have them fit in the
rule "box". And though Grant's opinion should need no seconding, I rarely
feel the need to get further aft on my B2. (Though we've just angled the
back corner of our racks, and suddenly I do find myself behind the boat,
and quite comfortable!)
On rotating rigs - I'd like to simplify the rules by getting rid of the
technical restrictions on rigs, including rotation, double luffs, etc. and
see what happens. If I've learned anything sailing 14's, it's that gear
needs to be simple and well thought-out to be effective. I suspect an
effective rotating mast would necessarily end up not much heavier or more
expensive than a current rig. As for the potential benefits of rig
development, C-cats have gone way beyond rotating masts to solid wing
sails, despite the weight penalty, and continue to get faster. Frank
Bethwaite makes an excellent case for the aerodynamic benefits of rotating
masts. As for Julian's comments about high rig loads preventing the use of
rotating masts, perhaps he just needs to find a more clever engineer?
Ted Rogers
US 1104
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