Whether the sailors like it or not the builders have a very large influence in the class business (personally I'm okay with that). Interestingly enough this is irrespectably of whether they have voting rights or not.

Afterall, class officials are nothing more then well intending sailors holding pieces of paper with words on them. The builders control all the actual hardware and marketshares. Knowing this, does anybody want to pick a fight with the builders ?

Therefor rule number 1 for class officials is to NEVER EVER risk a mutiny among the builders. Even risking it is very damaging to the class as a whole as it directly decreases the status and perception of authority of the class and its leading officials.

Rule number 2 is to learn rule 1 again !

Doing the F16 class business is a whole lot of politics and background lobbying (before moving to holding a public vote).

Personally I feel the builders have an effective vote by supporting a proposed changes from the start or not. When they are not SUFFICIENTLY supportive then the GC must move to not vote on the alteration. This has been my personal experience and for this reason there is no difference whether the builders have an official vote or not. In praxis they always have and it is a massively important one at that.

In the past I always gave the builders 1 vote equal to a normal class member; the is no reason to public favour them over actual sailors. But having said that, I made damn sure I had their full support before I entered a public vote.

Wouter