Hi Matt

Certainly not advocating any changes coming up... My point is... sailors should take a look at the rabbit start and then look at the big F18 start and CONSIDER the gate starts while you are there. (If you don't ask the question... you don't get people to take a fair look and then you get knee jerk or uninformed opinions)

My hunch is... many sailors will go WOW... that's a long line! ... (because local PRO's are not following that formula). I lost this argument for last years Alter cup line length... (Its even more vital in an open class start)

When both starts are conducted properly (Rabbit for 3 minutes and standard 300 m line... ... everyone gets a fair start.

However, when you tell a PRO to set that length of line...300 meters.... they get about half way there and then their dinghy mentality takes over and they drop the pin. This is what most of us are used to at the local level!

THEN you have to fight to not be on the second row... in breeze... can you say bumper boats. A Cats are VERY sensitive to this issue and usually blame the #%#%% sailors... not the RC for the stress test that is a race start!

At the minimum.... the F18 will KNOW what length of line is fair for their turnouts.....