SL16 Only Youth Cat from 2008

I still see nothing on the ISAF website, but below is a report from the Irish Sailing Assoc. website written by their Rep at the ISAF Conference.

Youth Worlds Championship Sub-Committee
This committee deals with the management of the ISAF Youth Worlds. This committee recommends classes for the event, evaluates proposed venues and oversees the running of the Championship.

Forthcoming Venues and Classes

Granted
2006 Weymouth 420, Laser, RS:X, Hobie
2007 San Diego ? 29er, RS:X, Hobie
2008 Aarhus 420 or 29er, RS:X, SL 16

Proposed
2009 Buzios, Brazil 420 or 29er, Laser, RS:X, SL16
2010 Bodrum, Turkey

I didn’t have the final decisions at time of writing, but ISAF have now chosen the RS:X as the youth board for the foreseeable future, and the Sirena SL16 will take over as the only catamaran from 2008.

http://www.sailing.ie/news/newsDetails.asp?isActive=0&id=795

Sorry but the Irish got it wrong. The submission to ISAF was only ADD the SL 16 to youth equipment. The submission was 86 to the ISAF Council, ISAF Regualtion 17.1 only ISAF Classes can be selected. The SL is not an ISAF class. The facts are their are no SL16's in the world outside France so nobody can train on it.

Lets no argue if the this or that is the best boat. The facts are there will be 2 classes in the future. Just how long depends on the SL and if the can sell their boats. Until and in he future the Hobie 16 will be the boat used.

There was also a submission to have the SL16 accepted as an ISAF Class. Do we know what the result of that vote was ?
I can't find anything on the ISAF site yet. How does everyone else know so much

The SL submission to become an ISAF Class was rejected as they did not meet the requirements.

How do I know I spoke to people at the ISAF Conference. Also the fact SL have not bombarded us with their press releases.

Could be - but the guy who wrote the article is on the:
"Youth Worlds Championship Sub-Committee"
"This committee deals with the management of the ISAF Youth Worlds. This committee recommends classes for the event, evaluates proposed venues and oversees the running of the Championship."
Maybe he fell asleep I'll reprimand him next time we meet - that's not good behaviour:p

Well Paddy got the part right that his sub committee recommended the additon of the SL 16 as the submission was never altered. But Paddy's committee has the reporting committee and a full ISAF Council who make the final approval.

So yes partial reporting sends the wrong message to the world

Lets not get too bogged down on the letter of the rules here. As a matter of fact the Hobie + spi ISN'T a ISAF class either. Far too little boats are around for this class to get recognition as well. Only a handful in the whole wourld and it is quite clear that the official HCA doesn't want anything to do with this H16+spi class.

Wouter

Interesting point, Wouter.

I presume that this will be well sorted by 2008, seeing that, from what Sirena say on their website, they should meet all the criteria by then. This "International Consortium" should have plenty built by then.
Anyway, what about Wouter's point ? ISAF Class recognition cannot have anything to do with the decision
See the excerpt from the Sirena site below.
http://www.sirena-voile.com/en/news/news.html

" ISAF COUNCIL VOTES IN FAVOR OF THE SL16 »


Following the recommandation of FEB 6, 2005, the ISAF ( International Sailing Federation ) council* has selected the SL16 for Youth Worlds (submission 086-05. www.sailing.org ).
*the council includes 40 members from all over the world of sailing.
THE SL16, a modern catamaran designed by Yves Loday, and developped with SIRENA, brings performance and innovation in the world of multihulls.
Indeed the SL16 is very fast going on the wind ,or windfree with the spinnaker, or long distance ( 2004, 2005, regattas).
The SL16 is a marketing success supported by an international consortium:
-this “ one design catamaran” already selected by the French Sailing Federation (model 15.5) is build worldwide in UK , USA, ASIA, and FRANCE in view to cover the requirements of each continent.
- the motivation of the International , and MNA’s Class Associations shows the interest around the SL16. (www.slica16.org) .
It will take a few months to allow our licenced builders and the sailors to be at full speed with the SL16, although all the owners of a SL15.5 are able to upgrade it with a SL16 Kit.
More news very soon...

FYI
ISAF Executive Committee Minutes

6. VICE PRESIDENTS REPORT
The Executive Committee received a brief summary report from the Vice-Presidents on activities in their areas of responsibilities and noted the following issues not covered
elsewhere in these minutes.

(a) SL16
Vice-President Fiona Barron advised that the SL16 is applying for Recognised Status although it probably does not have enough distribution at the moment.

Decision
It was agreed to support the SL16 for the Youth Worlds 2008 subject to the SL16 meeting the required numbers for becoming a Recognised Class. The Equipment Committee have advised that they will put forward a Submission on Regulation 17 for the Mid-Year Meeting.

http://www.sailing.org/meetings/minutes/2005_EX_03_11.pdf

That means :

ISAF section 5 rule 26.2.1 subsection E (ii) (who thinks up these article references !!!)

(ii) in the case of Recognized Classes, in at least four Member National Authorities or three Member National Authorities which are from two continents and meet the following criteria as to the number of boats per country according to size;

LOA Boats per country

Up to 5.0m 20
5.0m to 6.5m 15

LOA Boats Worldwide

Up to 5.0m 100
5.0m to 6.5m 80

For the purposes of these regulations “continent” means any one of Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.



Mind you ISAF didn't have to do this as

ISAF section 5 rule 26.2.1 subsection G states

(g) The requirements of 26.2.1(e)(ii) may be waived by the Council, upon recommendation of the Sailing Committee, when considering a class which serves a unique aspect of sailing.



But lets summarize the conditions this SL16 class need to meet before mid-year 2008 = 30 months from now.

4 countries having at least 20 boats and having a total of 100 boats (class members) around the world

or

3 countries, of which at least 2 on different continents, having at least 20 boats each and having a total of 100 boats around the world.


Note how selling 80 boats in France and 20 to non French sailors is not going to cut it.

Also !

[color:"red"] ! So these guys need to sell 100 SL16's of 11.000 Euro's to youth teams (below 21 years) in the next 30 months !
[/color]

Note how this means almost selling a boat a week for the next 130 weeks ! And do this in such a way that at least 3 (or 4) nations have at least 20 purchase. I really don't see many nations putting up 20 youth teams of sufficient desire to part with 11.000 Euro's (USD 13.000 ex shipping).

Come to think of it, that combines to a 1.1 million Euro's deal over the next 30 months. (1.3 million USD or are you Americans calling this 1.3 billion USD ?).



WOW ! This will be fun to watch !

I can't imagine the amount of promo that that it going to take.

Wouter

France already has the first 20, so we'll have to see how Nacra and the others do