I seem to remember many tirades on this forum on how the A-cat had only a few very open rules and allowed "fantastic" development and modification of boat and that it was therefor the king of all cat classes.
Yet, everytime something REALLY interesting is being tried we see the class for what it really is. Scared shitless of any REAL development.
Now I don't mind if the class decides to progress either way (development or a strictly controlled class) but can we please also cut the BS about the A's being such an open class with only 3 to 4 class rules (length, width, weight, sailara area) ?
Personally I always felt the A-cat anti-foil rules were insufficient in preventing any projects in this direction. The definitions were not precise enough and left open alot of grey area.
Personally I would not even have any trouble if canted or curved boards were to be introduced in the more strict formula classes like F18's and F16's. If it works it works and as somebody else has said. We already allow alot of sail design and rig changes, why disallow boards changes ? Such a thing almost resembles a double standard.
Wouter
Which is it? A) The rules leave "open a lot of gray area" or that B) the A-cat rules stifle development as you so eloquently put it; "cut the BS about the A's being such an open class"? You present both opposing opinions as evidence for the basis of your argument which leads me to believe you are simply angry about something. The rules are incredibly simple - I believe there are 9 in total and they'll fit on one sheet of paper and they do leave open a lot of room for creativity.
The foil rule was undoubtedly left gray so that it wouldn't completely stifle development.
Go crap on your own parade.
Clearly the interest here is, as in F18 and should be in F16, to present a moderate and acceptable progression of development such that it keeps things interesting but doesn't price people out of the class. Whether you like it or not, the organization has some responsibility to the people and opinions they represent.
