Rick for the public record :
>> Now, since the class is still in its infancy, this is the time to get things straightened out.
Actually the class in now in its childhood, with 35 registered votes equally devided over the three continents and an EXISTING gennaker fleet of twice that amount. A big surprise was the rapid growth of south asia. 11 boats in 18 months.
What the class needs now wrapping up the ballot and absloute peace and tranquility on the rules front. We are growing right now and "experiments" will now do nothing more than confuse new sailors. Sorry Rick, maybe a little further down the line.
>> there was obviously no one there representing the other side.
Wrong there was and represented it quite actively too.
>> Debates require opposing views.., and while I could be wrong since I wasn't there, it would seem there was only one side represented adequately.
No true, this point saw many argument both pro and cons but the solution lay midway.
>> Since 33% of the class obviously must concur that the reacher is a flat spinnaker then is should be allowed..,
Rick, with all due respect but this is rather a claim than a reality.
>>Shouldn't the American contingency have some say in this debate? I think so!
As a matter of fact; The most campaigner to allow hooters was Australian and the most active campaigner against Hooters was American. The Europeans were actually rather quiet in that discussion.
Rick, you make assumptions that are based on guess work and "perceptions about the others". Obviously this a shacky basis to base statements on.
>>I am also fascinated by the word "genaker" used in this debate. I believe this is a hybrid name coming from the combination of two words – Genoa and Spinnaker. What is a Genoa? Duh! A jib. So, by the very description of the word the Genaker should be banned or rendered useless by ISAF and Texel as well.
No, because a spinnaker is by common practice a symmetrical headsail with a very full head (shoulders) for pure downwind sailing while a Genoa is a fuller cut jib sail with very narrow shoulders intended for all courses.
Asymmetric spis or gennakers combine the fullness of the spinnaker with the assymetricallyness of the genoa resulting in a full cut headsail that can be used on course ranging from downwind to reaches. Ergo the name Gennakers
>>It is quite obvious that the outside U.S. influences have never seen, nor have any idea how and why reachers work.
I refer back to my comment on who was the stunchest campaigner pro. The french Club med and the 60 ft tris have been using screachers for a long time now as well as the W60 monohulls.
>>Yet outside our boundaries there are those that think reachers are only used on big boats and are useless around the buoys. If that is the case, why are you digging in your heels and resisting with so much malevolence.
I don't think they are useless, honestly ! Just untested, unknown, un fairly rated in Europe, (much) underrepresented in the our current fleet, unnecessary and unlike the F18 which will be our open class direct competition.
>> So, if someone shows with a Hooter, you say they can race, but not be scored. Why? What are you fearing? Let the trials begin,
Rick, the class could also easily have said that you could not race it all. We are helping you here, don't bite me while doing so.
>>if this is to be a class with a fast and good future.
That future is already secure and "despite" the gennakers (little joke)
>>One more point: I would like to re-open debates on pole-length.
And the class is also not going to open the debate on the pole lengths. We had that discussion several weeks ago and we gave it several weeks for outsiders to react to it. At one time we have to close of the debate with a decision and that is the rules ballot which will close in within 25 hours.
I'm really sorry Rick but the class has spoken and will have decided soon; even I can't go back on them. As a Tornado class official you must surely understand that.
Kind Regards,
Wouter
