I have had great success in raising sponsor dollars for this as of yet proposed class.
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<br>What sponsors what to see is head to head spectacle, lots of thrills, lots of chills, a easy to understand format, and tons of participation.
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<br> What they do not want to see is differences in sailplans(noticble ones), fractured direction (infighting), participant favored rules, and a small showing.
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<br>We have been tasked to provide a venue and class where well known sailors from all types of boats can compete head to head at a high level of commonality. Also, we have mentioned a rules format where ANY sailor can compete with a basically "stock" boat.
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<br>Trying to build rules around a "dream" boat at this time is not practicle, is counter productive to what is readily availible to the public, and creates a format where "one boat is the IT boat", reduces the number of sailors availible and undermines the intention of getting more boats on the water.
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<br>Continuing to lower crew weights reduces the number of teams that can compete to just "smaller" people, alienates potential upper level monohull sailors and reduces the draw provided by broad spectrum competiton. One thing every one must remember is that these boats are a handful to control already, when we power them up it will be even more so, and to lower crew weights is insane to the point where insurance for any event will be cost prohibitive.
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<br>I feel that the boat weights must stay (for now) in the 390-400 lbs range( due to what is readily available from the current manufactures -- or is easily corrected to by SLIGHTLY lower weight existing foriegn boats) and the crew weight minimum must go up to 350 (correctible to). Hell, if you can't correct to 350 after adding 45lbs then go eat a flippin meal!
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<br>Two guys racing in gear at 160 each could correct to 350 with only 30 lbs of corrector weight. The average soling or star crew (180 lbs) would still give up 10 lbs after the correction. What more do you guys want? You slam the door shut on a great number of sailors when you start to force them to sail with "ultra light" crews. For example, I weigh in at 205 (today) and my wife( who has no business being on a super powered NAF20 boat, couldn't pull the spinnaker sheet if our childs live depended on it) weighs 117 (today). So where do you think its fair for us to give up 23lbs to an "olympic caliber" team (when racing at your proposed 300 lbs). Have you every thought this out?????? If you want to race in a growing enviorment, then you open things up where there is alleast the average american can compete. Everyone has to compromise small guys, big guys, catsailors, monohullers, sponsors, and the public.
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<br>At the end of the day, as in anything it becomes a business decision. If it makes sense than sponsors will do it. A format that is percieved to be all inclusive goes to the target market of the sponsor and therefore it becomes easy to get their money. One off builders and people with thoughts of "dream" boats. Need to realize sponsors do not pay for your dreams, they pay to spread their name. The only way that SAILING can do that is to bring the maximum number of KNOWN sailors to an event in order to get public attention. The ability for any person to buy a "stock" boat and compete against the best sailors only makes the racing more "interesting" and makes for good special interest stories.
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<br>Lets stay in the area of what is available and make rules where ALL SAILORS can race evenly. Changing sail formulas for weight is too complicated for the average person to understand, too difficult for an announcer to explain and is percieved as "fixing" by a sponsor. The KISS prinicple must apply here and all sides must compromise. Remember when you think of weight monohullers need weight on the rail therefore they are larger than your average catsailor. And lighter boats are not readily availible or currently racing in the US. The class needs to start with an infrastructure and build from there. You can always repaint the house after it is built.
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<br>Sorry to seem so harsh but I know what sells and what stinks in the mind of a major corporation. Grassroots sells and small turn out stinks.
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<br>Steve<br><br>