Aido
If this is issue is so clear... Why did the protest committee give it a pass?
When you don't know the sailors, the lofts, and the internal class politics, your opinion is not shaped by ... XX is a good guy and YY is an A hole (and he won). From a distance, this looks like a pissing contest between the ins and the outs and nothing more and it looks unfair.
Setting the process BS aside. Is it even reasonable that this reinforcing material be banned in the first place? Was there a move to have this approved and it was denied and for what reason was it denied. Perhaps this is a long simmering battle between the ins and the outs and the material is just the latest weapon?
Since I am sure you buy these materials in bulk....It would be nice to know that the decision makers were not letting their inventory of material determine what is allowed and what's not. Who knows!
The T class joined/recruited the F18 class to ban the cuben fiber cloth because it was 4 x more expensive, short lived and had limited availability (unfair). It was a quick decision made by the F18 and T class and perhaps not well thought out. Does this reinforcing material come close to the impact of the Cuben fiber cloth on the game.
I have seen the patches in question. By definition they are primary. In practice hopelessly light and I would expect the sail to last 1 regatta at best.
Going forward... would the class not allow this material?
Dynema traps are a good example of how in a controlled development class... the rules lag the reality on the water.
A rule that distorts the market and does not serve the game is a bad rule.
The Nacra 20 guys are trying to form a new set of class rules and obviously would like to learn from this FUBAR
Sunlight is the greatest disinfectant.
