>>It would be nice to purchase a stripped boat, but you can not blame the manufacturers for running their business like a business.

That I can not indeed.

However , I would think that somekind of one-design Tiger class can easily exist when the OD tiger rules only limit real differences. Anything that is disposable should not fall under OD rules. Sails, blocks, sheetline, trampoline etc should not be ruled upon. There is no way that a sailor is going to win a race because he uses a different mainsheet system. This ooposite has often been claimed by never proven in classes like the Tornado's. Mitch is sailing with some normal harken mainsheet system while others are sailing with some special marstrom invention. Both are winning races.

We have got to loose the mindset that in a OD classes every single item need to be identical. In the end this is not in the interest of the builder nor the sailor.

Also by relaxing the rules a little bit one can attract more tiger sailors to yout Tiger events. Or does anyone really expects that a Tiger F18 crew would downgrade their boat to factory standard just to compete in an OD Tiger event ?

Actually I think Tiger event relax their rule over here in order to attract more than 5 boats; SERIOUSLY. Last tiger nationals here attracted 7 boats while there are more than 10 tigers at my club alone.

No Hobie corp needs to keep with the F18 or risk losing marketshare. Tiger sailors can forget about attracting Toger F18 sailors to Tiger only events when that means rebuilding their upgraded boats. Tiger class simply can not survive on a handful of US and Aus Tiger sailors. None in Europe keeps his or her Tiger in factory setup; certainly not the Hobie hired professional crews so why should we.

With respect to sails. Open up the rules. Any competitive crew needs to buy a new set every 2 years anyway even Hobie 16 and laser sailors buy new sail that regulary or more often. Any sail change will find its way into the fleets within that time and anybody is equal again. All sailors not sailing with these new sails are at a disadvantage because of their old sails ANYWAY. There is no point in pretending that they aren't when everybody used the same cut sails.

If Tiger sails want both F18 and OD tiger options with the same boat that open up the Tiger OD rules so that it is easy to switch from F18 to Tiger OD and leave deposable or replaceble items unruled.

Of course I'm no longer an F18 sailors but that doens't invalidate my comments

Wouter