If I'm gonna be a muppet I might as well have an avatar to match <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Wouter:
You got me on the spi's glueing thing!
I guess the definition of the word "seam" depends of the context of where it is used.
This is what the dictionary says about it:
"Seam: joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces ".
For me there is no further debate on that word, that's final.

From the information I gathered it seems (no pun intended) that the shape of a panel used in a 3DL sail is not fundamental to the shape of the sail as a finished product, as the 3D mould is.
In theory there could be a 1cm gap between the panels and it would still work as a sail (a crappy one yes, but still a sail).

There is overlap between both manufacturing methods that causes confusion and debate but I am convinced they are fundamentally different.

Anyway, I would not refer to a 3DL sail as a "panel sail" as I would a regular broadseamed sail (eg F18 main).


About the rest of your post:
If I win the lottery I will get myself a gold F16! (should make for a nice insurance policy!).
I personally think that having stricter rules would leave less open to interpretation, there are still a few wars running about what a particular book says on something.
If for example aluminum is the best material for a mast, why not put that in the rules?
Maybe I am just either too thick or practical to understand these things, I will let you decide which it is <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />