Franck, please tell us what boat you sail? Obviously someone **** in your wheaties because they are using lighter, faster, more durable sails, have long boards and a wing mast section and are now beating you around the course.
There is no reason to limit the sail materials unless the intention is to reduce cost. That is CLEARLY not the case here, considering you are going to make illegal a number of existing sails. That is in the best interest of the manufacturers who sit on the technical committee!!!!
Making the boats more similar has nothing to do with it. The rules are designed to have flexibility for limited innovation. Otherwise everyone would still be sailing Hobie Tigers, and the F18 fleet in most of the U.S wouldn't be near as strong-the sail and rig innovations let F18's match or beat N20's that carry a carbon rig and more sail area.
Finally, someone can go out, pick up a used Tiger for $5K USD, stick a set of $3K long boards and high aspect rudders on the boat, put a nice new set of 2012 sails on and for less than $10K still have a very competitive F18. No it won't win championships because the people winning Nationals and World's are all pro's sailing the latest and greatest designs. Do you spend 300+ days a year on the water with coaching??? If not the platform doesn't matter and this fleet separation you are talking about is mostly a skill set issue.
Sam,
Come in France and will see how you're in the fleet ;-) Last world show old F18 countries are still ahead
There is reasons to limit the sail material just think about F18 spirit.
Once again F18 is not capitalisme stuff, for your info it has been created in a sovietic country by an governement agency. The french MNA (Fédération Française de Voile) budget is over than 30% paid by the french government. That help you to understand the way that permit F18 success. Sport more important than technics developpment.
If you need a faster boat to be ahead, you miss the F18 point. Try A class or C class or AC72, there tech dev is part of the game.
F18 should be as similar as possible in order to improve sailing skill.
Unhappily some are not good enough (lazy on training
) on the water and need longer daggerboard, big hull, painted hull (to have stiffer platform) and lighter sail to replace sailing skill. That is not very interesting indeed.
And the customer pay the developpment done by the pusher.
So now you can understand better than limiting material is the genuine spirit of F18 and that is a way to limit cost and have better sport.
Here the item is on process for the member and anyone can think what he wants.
Sales representatives words are not very reliable, just keep in mind how they change about paint, first it was economic and one year after admit it was to replace gel coat dead weight.
Obviously thin sails are lighter and are performance bonus. I ask to prove that 1,5 mil offer the same characteristics (UV, mechanic, abrasion) than 3 mil. for durability, I wait and smile.
