Hi Mary

Do you feel the same way about Race Committe's who insist on the rule All must wear Life Jackets while racing"?

How about the Fed's mandating front air bags in cars?

How about the fed's dictating the bumper height of cars?

An experienced sailor died and those attempting to help were powerless to save him because of a limitation in his equipment. It would seem that while this is not common, more people have reported near misses and so the problem is quite real and not insignificant.

The obvious solution is to require the use of better equipment. The fact that few options (perhaps just one) exist on the market right now points to a real problem.
I certainly was aware of the sailor's death and its cause but I was not out there looking for a saftey solution. The new rule will change my behavior and I will upgrade when the equipment is approved and available.

ISAF and the National Sailing authorities have done what they are supposed to do... Take a leadership position and require sailors to upgrade their equipment. Mind you, the legislation pertains ONLY to sailors racing under the rules as specified by ISAF and spelled out in the general sailing instructions.

You are free to ammend the rules and waive this particular rule for any races that you PRO. Will you choose to waive this rule?

Take Care
Mark