Please consider ammending Hurricane result

A can of worms being opened here. What about the Lasers? Quite a few race at SYC with non class legal sails and that is before wondering whether they are a Laser or an ILCA and which set of rules should apply. 

Hi Mark

Is it really? - as far as I am aware there doesn't appear to be rumblings of discontent in the slow handicap fleet for people sailing boats that are essentially identical (whatever their official name).  As far as I'm aware no one has protested the use of replica equipment or the legal name of a class in at leas the last twenty years of racing at SYC.  I suspect if anyone was actually sailing something that really wasn't a laser we would see protests.

Of course if the slow handicap fleet were concerned it would be easy to add some words to the SIs to indicate what is and what isn't acceptable as a Laser.  Other clubs have done that - and I think the ILCA actually have provided some example wording for clubs to used.  The general result seems to be "carry on what you were all doing anyway"!

Mark

We will discuss the use of replica Laser equipment at the next sailing committee meeting with a view to adding some wording to the SIs - please contact Robin Charles or myself if you have any objection.

As Mark comments, every competitor is responsible for ensuring that their boat complies with the class rules and this applies to all racing at Starcross.  However, it is clearly unrealistic for Race Officers to be familiar with the rules for each and every class.  Also, the Sailing Committee will not simply amend results as a result of a comment on the forum or grumbling in the dinghy park.  If you believe that a competing boat does not comply with the applicable class rules, you must submit a protest as per the normal process - please see RRS 78.1
 

I haven't heard any grumbles in the slow handicap either and was just using Lasers as an example. I am pretty relaxed about what equipment is being used and how many people are in a boat.
If the sailing committee is going to discuss this and allow exemption for non-class equipment on a cost saving basis, it should apply to all the manufacturer controlled classes, be it Laser, Topper, RS, White Formula etc.

 

Thanks Mark,
Can I encourage this discussion to take place across all classes, as suggested. I have replica equipment on my elderly (soon to start racing at SYC) 29er simply from a cost saving perspective. No advantage afloat is desired or expected, it's simply to keep an older boat racing and those with 'less deep' pockets joining in the fun at club level.
Scott.
29er GBR346