Don't think so. Developments are the norm in A's. People are always trying things to see if they are faster and we already have boats set up in many different ways. Sloop rigs have been tried before and dissappeared like the dodo because they weren't faster. This time around who knows. There are new materials and techniques, and very smart people having a go. That's what we do in this class - have a go.

As far as kites go, a small number of people have added kites just for recreation. But as soon as you add a kite it's not an A Class. The sail area limitation for the ISAF category rules that out unless the total sail are remains with 13.94sq metres. There are plenty of great boats around designed for kites for those who prefer to use them. We revel in the challenge of going fast downwind without adding large amounts of sail. It's about efficiency and rig adjustment and technique for us. Each to their own.

Cheers