According to the class website a new rule has been issued

What class?

[color:"blue"]For all you guys who just spent over 20 thousand dollars on a new A2. I feel bad for you. It is time to cut the boat in half and rebuild the centerboard trunk to fit banana boards.[/color]

Dear A class sailors worldwide ,
following up the decision taken during our last WGM in Sanguinet a Commission have investigated the hydrofoil matter.
A special thank to all people involved for the time spent to work on this issue.
It has been a free and open discussion with the following conclusions :


The technical committee has found that it is impossible to define "what a hydrofoil is".


However it is much easier to describe what affects hydrofoils can have on an A Cat and therefore limit their use.
[color:"red"]Simply we don't want foils to lift the boat.[/color] Canted centreboards and rudders may do this, so lets limit their use and in so doing we will stop any further use of hydrofoils.
Moreover, grandfhatering a big number of existing boats with canted daggerboards is not a viable option
To control this we wish to introduce a simple rule for a clear period, until the end of 2007, just to observe the situation and understand something more (Box rule + 1,5 m underwater)


We also suggest to go on with group discussion. The hydrofoil group my be delegate to discuss the subjetct and to give warning signal to IACA Committe if and when things really are getting out of hand


Measurement control


The extreme beam shall not be more than:
2.3 metres (7 ft 6½ inches)


The beam shall be measured at right angles to the centre line of the craft at the widest point and including all fixed or adjustable
apparatus with the exception of a normally accepted trapeze or retractable seat. (adjustable apparatus such as foils must be measured both completely down and completely up flush with the bottom of the
hull). In addition, no part of each hull or the respective fixed or adjustable apparatus shall come closer together than 1.5 metres below the static waterline. If necessary the static water line shall be found by floating the boat fully equipped without the sailor on board.



This rule has been approved by the IACA Commitee and will take effect immediately after it will be published on IACA Official Website www.a-cat.org
I kindly ask you all to inform all your members and to publish this new on national website.
For the current World Championship I kindly ask Magnus Roberg to update all measurement documents if necessary.
Thank you all


Stefano Sirri - IACA President
stefano.sirri@tele2.it

The problem is they could be outdated as soon as people start using bannana boards.

...people that make radical modifications to their boats are few, most guys racing A cats have factory boats. The number of home built competitive A's is low compared to the whole that races. So you've got mostly guys buying boats instead of building them, and the guy that just bought a new A2 doesnt have the desiire, skills,tools, etc to go hacking up a new A2 or XJ.


You might see Steve Clark experimenting with something, he's the one guy I would expect to show up right away with something new. But I've spoken to him about foils on cats and when we talked about it last year, he wasnt convinced. Its too bad he doesnt participate here.