Do you think brand names (manufacturers) of the boats should be included in results of formula class races, like A-Class, Formula 18, Formula 16, etc.?

Why or why not?

no

because competition within formula classes isn't about the brand name... its about the box rule.

I say this as a non-participating member in any of the above classes.

I say yes, Because this is how the manufacturers can get feedback about how thier boat is doing against the competition. This will help fuel them to build better boats while trying to stay price competitive. I bet everyone that looks at the results likes to know what boat the top finishers are on. The results are always based on the best sailor and not the brand, but I still want to know. I also don't sail any F boats.(yet)

the manufacturers are going to find out how their boats stack up whether the results are posted or not.

I think they should include boat makes and sailmaker. Most things that are raced fit into a "box rule" Nascar,F-1,Champ Cars, Motorcycles, even skiers raise thier ski up so we know what they're using.

Face it, the people that are racing those classes know who using what so what's the deal keeping it from the rest of us?

Mary, The rules for the Formula 18 Class say:

F.5. RANKING On events sailed under F18 rules, there shall not be specific rankings according to tghe different competing brands or types.

The International A Class Rules do not seem to prohibit listing of brand names of boat or equipment.

From an enthusiast standpoint, I want to know as much info as possible. Factory or home build/designer, carbon or al, sail/s manufacturer, the more the merrier. Much easier for the manufacturer to know how they stack up, much harder for the prospetive owner to find out. Compared to other sports, info is more difficult to come by.
Excellent idea

YES. I would like to know what hull/make won and when sailing true F18(not Nacra or Hobie class), which sailmaker was matched to the boat.

Bob

I read this differently than you. I read it that the organizer can't seperate the F18's into fleets or give out One-design trophies within the F18 class.

I don't believe that it is prohibited from listing the type of boat in the results.

I would also like to see the boat type and sailmaker in the results. Being stuck in the Midwest I'm really insulated from being able to see what's going on in the rest of the world. It would certainly be helpful to others that don't get a chance to compete in mixed fleets more than once a year.

Mike Hill
www.stlouiscats.com

It helps you determine which boat you want to look at not based so much on the skill of the sailor.

That is my opinion.

Doug Snell
Hobie 17
www.tcdyc.com

I haven't read the rules but looking at this I don't see where including brand-sail maker with each result is breaking that rule.

Seems like that rule would pertain to something like a manufactures ranking, similar to Nascar where you have drivers points and manufacturer points.

You simply don't keep a official count or recognize a particular brand.

Absolutely, the brand name of the boat is of great concern. If one is contemplating purchase of a new boat, it will be of considerable interest. While most everyone will agree that the sailor is the biggest factor in the equation, the boat/sails are right behind in the number 2 slot.

Put all the cards on the table. Let the potential boat buyers come to their own conclusion on whether or not a particular boat won on its design merits, or the extraordinary talent of a “hired gun rock star”.

The more information that is available, the better it is for an informed purchase decision. While a few teams might be able to win sailing a barn door/broom stick/bed sheet, the stats of all boats, by all teams, will give an indication if a given boat is a strong or weak design within a given Formula Class. Remember this is not one design and there could be significant performance differences between different brands as each attempts to create the fastest boat based on their own approach within the box rules.

I question any ones motives when they try to withhold information. Let the race results speak for themselves. It is better than having our information come to us from a slick marketing department.

Regards,
Bob

I agree with Mike - I don't think this speaks specifically about listing brand name within the event standings. However, sometimes things get a little lost when rules are brought in from different native language speakers...as some of the F18 international rules are. It would be interesting to get the official interpretation of the rule but I suspect it would only be to not establish awards or prestige based on manufacturer within the overall event standings.

i.e. it says we can't RANK sailors based on manufacturer of the boat.

Personally, I prefer to place the focus on the skipper and crew, not what boat they sailed.

It irks me when I see headlines like "[Enter any brand name boat here] Wins the [enter name of championships/worlds here]!"
Then further into the article you actually get to read the names of winning team.

Tracie

Tracie, that happens because the manufacturers immediately send out press releases giving the best possible spin on how their boats did in a given event. A story from the class association always trumps one from a manufacturer. But you gotta be quick.

I also agree with Tracie on this one.

Me, too.

Of course the sailors of the boats are more important than the make in the results of any race. On the other hand, when a builder is marketing their boat...who sailed it to a win is less important. Buyers are not interested in that information in an ad.

So, what is in the F18 for the builders if they don't get mentioned? Seems pretty silly for everyone to have to try and figure out which boat is what make by sail numbers and photos of the event.

I like the idea of brand names in results. I think it could make catamaran racing more interesting, and create more conversation and buzz related to the sport. Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge kind of thing.

Plus, some competition between manufacturers is good right? Helps keeps prices down. New boats keep coming, so more used boats to pass down through the ranks. The catamaran companies make more money on boat sales, hopefully some of which they reinvest in the sport.

I dont know much about NASCAR, the races are boring as hell to me, but for some reason I always think its interesting to hear which car types are at the top.

I think anything we can do to fire people up about sailing is good for the sport.

Yes - mainly for interests sake. You can make an educated guess just looking at the sail numbers. I like to see how my friends & sailors that I know are going and at the same time see how the various manufacturers are too. It adds a bit more interest to the whole thing.

Michael