To Matt and others who are indeed taking some abuse from me on this issue.

I'm fully aware that I'm a jerk on this issue and I'm not really proud of that either. It would indeed be alot better if I would be very positive in my replies to this but I just can't bring myself to that. The frustrations of past experiences now combined with the introduction of the "new" Taipan mainsail design is just too much. And I'm only human.

So I guess I'm just asking for a little forgiveness on this issue of my persona, knowing that I can never bring myself to view the upgrades to the Taipan OD class as something that was already done years ago by people who got burned by it at the time. Maybe I do expect somebody to come along and say to us :"you guys were on to a good thing back then, to bad the time wasn't ripe for it". That would be the truth and would acknowlegde the fact that the real trail blazing and prototyping was done much earlier by a different group of people. Who, I may add, were predominately Taipan sailors. And even we stole a good portion of the development from the A's and the F18's. But it is better that I do not rehash that again.





But the real point here is that if this upgrade was done a few years earlier then the Taipan class could have broken through internationally. The Aussie Taipan sailors hung the non-aussie Taipan sailors out the dry. In in some cases they hung individual persons out to dry. The Taipan mainsail was most definately falling behind, the same with some other aspect, mostly to the F18 class and the A's.

Now all the reasons against the upgrade still apply but this time it did not proved to be a block to introducing it. I know, not all things go ahead when it is best timewise, but if only this change could have happened a little bit earlier.

You know I'm really not slacking on the Taipan design or its class racing. I love the boat and the design concepts enclosed in it. My frustration comes from missing this golden opportunity to make the Taipan a truly international class and having great racing world wide. From the fact that the upgrades that could have made the design break through internationally were a serious taboe several years back but now when the race internationally is all but completely lost the Australian class decides to go ahead with it.

I think the upgrade to be a very good one. I know very well what the benefits are and indeed one side of me is thrilled to see the Taipan class incorporating it. It is just the other side of me that only sees the score of missed opportunities. And there were quite a few, several of which are not public knowlegde yet. So please forgive from being torn on this issue and for the fact that I'm unable to see the Taipan class developments exclusively in a positive light.

I really don't mean to be bad juju about it but on the other side I just can't help it. Not enough water under bridge yet I guess.

I hope you understand.

I will now shut-up about it.


Wouter