I've been reading the rules again!!

Rule 1.7.1 It is not permitted to adjust while racing : the rake of the mast, the tension of the standing rigging, the angle or length of the spreaders or the position and height of the gennaker boom.

I guess that rule rules out sliding spi poles a la the 29er and 49er.

Such a pole would help reduce the performance loss upwind from carrying a spi pole permanantly out the front of the boat.

I haven't seen this mentioned in discussions before. Is there a good reason?

Rob.

With every rule there are borderline issues. That is why we have rule 1.1.1 in combination with rules 2.3.1, (2.3.2), 2.4.1, 2.6.1 and 2.6.2

The intend of rule 1.7.1 is mainly to limit the amount of tuning during racing and to keep the F16 setup simple and inexpensive. The F16 class is not intended to become a very technical class with all kind of baby stays or even hydrolics to finetune the rig to every point of sail individually. This will make the class to difficult for entry sailors which will be a significant portion of our fleet.

Now the intend of a sliding pole is not to finetune the rig but to gently improve on the design and or handling of the spinnaker equipment. Such a technic can just as easily be used by a novice sailor as an very experienced one.

So I wouldn't worry so much about this issue. I would worry more on how to implement such a setup.

Please note that this is not an official class interpretation of the issue as that requires a certain procedure to be followed. This is just an explaination on the workings of the rules and to illustrate that the class is not some "letter of the rule ! no matter what ! class" Where not sailing one-design lasers here.

Of course the issue may well change when the sliding mechanisme DOESN'T put the tip of the pole in the same locations each time when the setup is extended.

A good rule of thumb is that when the end situation is the same as the one achieved by other systems on other boats that than the issue is not that serious and stands a good change of being allowed by the class after due process.

Wouter

Berthos,
Personally I view the sliding pole in the same manner I would view the system used to deploy the kite.

When we were debating the rules we chose not to regulate the deployment system because we believed the modern use of kites on cats is relatively new and systems are still evolving, and may continue to evolve for some time. The main push behind this evolution is both the ease and efficincy of operation and the minimisation of windage.
Lets face it, the evolution of better spinnaker systems could have a real impact on how appealing the class is to both other cat sailors, but more importantly, potential sailors and current spinnaker and non spinnaker powered mono sailors.
I think the best most appropriate catamaran spinnaker setup has not yet been discovered and would not like to inhibit the discovery of this system. Who knows it may involve a sliding pole and may be discovered by an F16 sailor.

I agree with Wouter when he says the main issue would be that: when the kite is deployed the tip of the pole is always in the same position.
Provided this is achieved I see the sliding pole as a part of the deployment system.

Just the way I see it and what I thought we were trying to achieve with the rules.

Regards,
Phill

From a safety point of view.
There was a regatta earlier this year where a skipper on a boat going downwind appraoching a gate
was struck in the head by the end of a spinnaker pole of a boat that had just gone through the gate
and going upwind (both boats were going at speed). The person who was struck was in the wrong. He didn't see the upwind boat because he was concertrating on the tactical battle.
While this is no excuse, the danger to him would have been much less if the other boat had the pole retracted.

He was an extremely lucky person to come out of it with bruising , abrasion and a very bad headache.
If the pole had been a direct end on blow and not glanced off his forehead or been a couple inches lower
it could have been much worse.

I think it would be great if someone could develop a retractable pole. Apart from the possible performance
advantageous it could also ensure this type of thing does not happen again, the outcome could have been
disasterous.