Swimsuit and catamaran design evolution
Historically without first the invent of the swimsuit, catamaran development may not have evolved to the excellent high tech designs we have available in modern times. Thus the importance of the swimsuit, ancient Polynesian cultures that first used dugout outriggers and early forms of catamarans with woven palm leaves as sails discovered the important safety and health benefits of the suit for sunburn protection and while spear fishing shark and other gamefish.
A major concern of all true catsailors even today remains the swimsuit,one directly connected to each other within this ancient means of transportation, livelyhood , and modern sport. -How have these evolved over the years, are they safe for today’s modern cat sailing craft. Are there areas that may potentially snag on ring hardware or trap that should be reduced or done away with altogether, These important safety issues must be addressed and investigated thoroughly. We have provided research documentation in a link below for your careful inspection to draw your own conclusions.
More importantly how should these swimsuits be rated, by averaging them out through time over the years, -or on the merits of individual design and how well they function relative to one another based on design criteria.
Believe most catsailors would rather explore this area of research and form their own opinions based on their experiences rather than be provided an average rating number assigned by others based on their limited experience, with added human interpretation and unintentional human bias. A fatboy allowance or any artificial handicap allowances would be completely inappropriate applied here.
A windspeed mod factor gauging body adherence may be applied under either system interpreted and applied per discretion of R C .
Ideally a swimsuit rating taking the best attributes of existing rating systems in use will eventually evolve from the continued efforts of those dedicated to swimsuit design from all corners of the world. The goal being a universally accepted system that will benefit humanity by providing a valued scientific means of improving safety and design.
The difficulty and inherent problems of a provided rating system with the almost impossible task of rating fairly in all types of weather and sea conditions and their ever changing effect on suits may be the only real design characteristics in varied combination truly discovered. That is basically what design features are best in each condition, -which are safest. This realization will lead many other catsailors to prefer a formula of similar design swimsuits of the same general length, beam, weight, and most importantly area of different length categories to fit requirements of each as a more enjoyable and fairer test of swimsuit design..
Direct hands on modification are encouraged to suit the sailing style and individual preferences of each.
Some organizers of suit classification may attempt to over regulate and limit these modifications and new innovations much to the disappointment of the more inventive creative catsailors, but fortunately there are categories to fit each preference.
With numerous categories catsailors can find the right formula of suit that best fits them from lightweight high tech designs to more popular standard design with less area for ease and comfort of handling in those quick takedown sail maneuvers on the race course. Many other catsailors will prefer the larger length suit designs, which admittedly can really be a handful to handle at times but are capable of higher speeds and better performance through the water particularly in larger seas.
Yet other catsailors may prefer one design of swimsuit consistently over the years which as research indicates of good attributes in design will occur or be brought back time and again over the decades with only minor modification and equipment updates added and contain a familiar timeless feature.
Some will insist on wearing only one brand name of suit, and will insist everyone else do the same, but will find this selection limited and prone to endless often childish unsubstantiated debate over which type of suit is best.
Only direct swimsuit vs. swimsuit competition on the racecourse can answer this eternal debate.
Some unrelenting and in an effort to protect their brand of swimsuit will actually go as far as to only allow people wearing one brand name of suit to attend sailing functions on their beach, --again very shortsighted and limiting as a marketing protection strategy as we all realize that by increasing activity of all swimsuit wearers and the need for them in all facets of activity the more potential suits they will eventually sell. This is accomplished of course by encouraging as many as possible to wear swimsuits, not by limiting or discouraging them from participation because of wearing a different brand, these same potential consumers may just purchase more than one suit as many do and encourage many others to wear suits as part of an enjoyable healthy environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Most importantly and priority in this discussion is the fact that we must allow creative new designs to develop and evolve. Several internationally recognized developemental swimsuit groups have developed very refined efficient designs which often attract the elite, gathering at designated different locations each year to decide the world champion within their classification.
Many international teams from around the globe will also meet on the beach each May to further test these new suit designs in a very grueling 1000 mile race, -almost to the point of destruction, the ultimate test of any beach swimsuit. Many similar distance events are becoming popular around the globe .
New swimsuit design that is safer and more functional at sea must continue to develop for the sake of the multitude of so many happy weathered cheeked cat sailors worldwide.
Artificial dividing aspects and wedges must be removed for the sport to resume it,s proper place near the heart within the very busoms of all humanity within the sailing world .
More field research study and developement is definitely required again to benifit the ever intwined evolution between the swimsuit and catamaran .
Sail safe
have fun
Carl
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/ultimate_swimsuit/ 
