Jake, I agree 100% with you here. This is a one-design class, why are we setting the F-18 as the benchmark?
Let's look at costs:
Of all the top F-18 sailors in the world, which lofts do most get their sails from? Are they the small, local, lofts? Or are they big, well-known (nationally and internationally) lofts with loads of experience and followers? (Think Ullman-Zuccoli, Performance Sails, even E/P)... Do you think those lofts sell sails at a big discount? Absolutely not! Their sails come at a premium....
Let's look at R&D:
Nacra has agreed to let us update the sails over a rollout period. Why are we trying to reinvent the wheel overnight? E/P, just as well as any other loft, knows that needs to be done to update the sail plan-they just need permission from Nacra to do that. We are in the process of getting that 'formal' permission. It has to be a stepped plan though, not an all-at-once kind of event.
Sail design is not what is holding most of us back.
Trey, do you honestly believe that the "premium" you pay for a current cutting edge sail is going to be more than what your paying now for your 12 yr old technology sail. It's Not!
Your look at R&D doesn't say anything about R&D, did I miss something?
I'm not opposed to the SMOD approach, I just don't believe it's the best for the class. Jake said, SMOD has kept the class alive this long, I feel the class has stayed alive this long despite SMOD. A continued SMOD approach will just bring on more decline, the sail upgrade may slow this ,but decline will continue. As far as upgrading sails making people uncompetitive, be realistic, If your not buying spins every year and a main every 2or3 years you're not competitive anyway. That's racing at any top level.
Trey, Thanks for your effort on this. I want the same as you, we just have different approaches to the same ends.
Last edited by Team_Cat_Fever; 04/15/1010:31 AM.
"I said, now, I said ,pay attention boy!"
The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea Isak Dinesen If a man is to be obsessed by something.... I suppose a boat is as good as anything... perhaps a bit better than most. E. B. White
