OK...so, hypothetical time. What if the footstraps were mounted to the rudder heads? The rudder is excluded from the hull measurement.
I know, not terribly practical but it COULD be done. I think this illustrates the silliness of including a footstrap as part of "the hull".
Again, no one has yet pointed to the document that says the A-Cat ruling in question is official or correct in any way.
As to this hypothetical question, this would need to be limited by the class rule. In the Hobie Class rules, there is a general statement that foot straps may be added. Then, within each of the individual design sections (14, 16, 17, etc.) there is specific language stating where they can be added (hull vs. crossbar vs. wing). Nowhere does it say that you can't add them to the rudder head, but since the rules give specific instruction on where they can be added, putting them anywhere else would most likely be considered getting into the loophole area (not allowed).
The challenge with the A-Class rules is that they need to be flexible enough to allow for innovation, yet restrictive enough so that the boats resemble each other enough to be considered a class. Interestingly, the A-Class rules don't have the loophole disclaimer that Lasers and Hobies use (if it's not listed, it's not legal), making me even more concerned about the validity of this ruling interpretation.
Mike
