Jake
one-design (formula) racing
That is an oxymoron. Formula classes are development (but limited by the formula). OD is OD.
Wouter
-5- The OD cats are just a pain in the neck to sail. Cluncky systems, low quality builds, slow and bloody expensive for what you get.
-6- OD class sailors are often strikingly ignorant. A character trade that is difficult to life around when not being ignorant
Not true. Hurricane 5.9 is not slow or clunky.
-7- Equality between boats in an OD classes just based far more on principles of religion than reality. Anybody using sails longer than one year old and platforms more then 2 years old IS NOT COMPETITIVE in the important events. We all know it but for some reason always refuse to accept it. Also Hobie 16's from Europe are differently build the Hobie 16 USA. Marstrom Tornado's are different from say Reg White Tornado's (the original designers) and Ovington 49-ers are different from Bethwaite 49-ers. Their can be serious differences in quality between OD boats, OD sailor however refuse to believe that.
Oh come on Wouter, the Tornado is NOT a OD class, it is a limitee development class, as is the 49er (same hulls but different fittings allowed)
Each one of these sailors puts in more mileage in open class / formula events than SMOD events. Booth, Bundock and Dercksen are Tornado
But you are saying the Tornado is an OD cat (near the top of this thread), yet above (point -5-) you say that OD cats are clunky and slow
I like limited development classes, My inter 17 has standard Hulls and mast / running rigging (the expensive bits), but then I have changed a few things to make it more user friendly and easier to sail fast (cheap bits), but we do not have “inter 17 racing” at my club, we have SCHRS handicap racing where we have 5 boats on 107 (2 I17’s and 3 Shadows) and then a number of boats on 101 (Hurricane, F18’s etc). It works for us.
Limited development / Formula classes are the way to go IMO, but please don’t call them One design, they are NOT one design, the Dart 18/15 / Hobie 16 is one design. F16/F18/F20 and Tornado are a formula classes.
