Rules Changes - Spinnaker replacement

[Tom Elsen]

I think this topic deserves its own thread. The issue is a bit complicated and we need to bring this to a vote asap. I've tried to communicate with everyone who has voiced a strong opinion. In addition I've reached out to the Boston family for some expert advice.

Here's where we are:

1) Most people seem to be in favor of enabling the use of an 'old' kite at any point in a regatta. Then you could 'save' a good kite for another day.
2) But, nearly everyone (including me) is opposed to opening the door to specialty kites, such as heavy-air designs, or light-air reachers.

NOTE: It's very interesting how our current rule handles this situation. You must blow up your first kite before you hoist a second one. So, even if you did have a 'specialty design', you would need to sacrifice your first kite in order to be allowed to sail the other design. That's why we haven't had a problem in the past.

4) The problem with our current rule is (a) The person damages their kite without blowing it up completely cannot replace that sail immediately. They must repair it on the water. So the person who has a complete sail failure, perversely, has an advantage over the person who only has some damage. (b) Additionally, as John Spierling has pointed out, when you must use your best kite in heavy conditions you are are putting a lot of $$ on the line. Wouldn't it make more sense to allow the use of an 'old' kite in this situation. That would also eliminate the problem outlined in 4(a) above.
5) The bigger problem is this - If we allow an unrestricted 'replacement at any time' we do open the door to specialty designs. All you need to do is to check in a new 'specialty' design and a older 'All-Purpose" design at a regatta. So long as the specialty kite isn't over-size or under weight, you're ok. Then you just sail the A/P (old) kite for that regatta. Your specialty kite is checked in and legal. One year later you have an 'old' kite that is also a specialty design. No problem.

So, is it possible to enable a competitor to hoist an 'old' kite at any time without opening the door to specialty kites?

6) The only way to do this that I can see is to require that the two chutes are of approximately the same size.
Specifying that the two chutes be of the same cloth weight doesn't get us there. You could easily have a very narrow-shouldered small heavy air kite or a very flat light reacher as specialty designs, cut from the same cloth as your A/P kite. Indeed Tac Boston believes that the truly dangerous sail would be the reacher (not the heavy-air).

Then, how do we define the 'approximately' in 'approximately the same size (above)?
Spike Boston generously looked at a couple of his design specs. He believes that a change of 10% (in max girth, quarter-girth, or luff measurements) from a 'normal' A/P design is easily a specialty design. He suggests that we look at a 4% - 5% range.

Do you have some older sails in the basement to measure? If so, would you please measure the luff lengths, their (top) quarter girths and their mid-girths. Please help us out and post the results. Please post the sailmaker for each one as well.

Let's get this moving in a hurry so that we can write the exact wording of the rules proposals, vote on them, and get out sailing.

Thoughts / comments / suggestions? Post them as well.

[dixonwj]

My limited knowledge of the class rules tells me that class events are windward/leeward. No need for a reacher.

I race 100% PHRF, Have a runner out now being recut flatter, as local races almost always include a reach.