Physics is physics... You only get so much horsepower out of the rig and you have to move a fixed amount of mass in the boat PLUS the team on the boat. Skill matters but you can't violate the laws of the universe. Design allows you to depower effectively.. (good for the small guys) Design gives you max horsepower available. (good for the small guys... bad for the big guys who need more horsepower)

Obviously, they have now maxed out the power of the rig and sail plan.

The T Class has strictly enforced their 5 knot minimum windspeed rule. Protests are filed if the PRO tries to cheat.. Since the teams at the elite level all clustered around the optimal weight for most championship conditions... the class thought the competition was fair (without a weight minimum).

Now in China... the 5 knot rule is off... If the flag on the beach even moves.. they start and race. So...The only way to rebalance the equation is with a min weight rule. Since the only game that matters for the next two years is China... they have to find a way to reestablish a competitive playing field.

What is the problem? The min weight rule will have NO effect on any other Tornado competition outside of China.. BECAUSE they will only race in 5 knotts and up.

From my point of view... the best in the world recognize that weight matters and so to maintain a broad level of competition they will adjust the rules.... Notice.. No heavyweights are doing well in the T class... you better get to the optimum weight or no amount of skill will save you! This class is not TRYING to appeal to a large portion of the sailing public.. contrast that with F18's which have a large and small sail program for teams of very different weights. So, two different games and both are fair!

Hmmm..... Gee, when the Clubs and Portsmouth committe try to generate as level a playing field as possible for as many sailors as possible by using the wind speed adjustment in handicap racing... will the volume of screaming decrease? (Not a chance!)

Will weight adjustments be allowed for the Alter cup qualifiers? (Yes... they should be!)

Should equipment changes which increase the performance but may not be properly factored into the rating be allowed at alter cup qualifiers? (No, too much room for playing the rules and possible loopholes here.)

Should single one off boats have Portsmouth ratings (since the results of a single skipper determine the boats ratings... its essentially a personal handicap) (NO! see caveat)

Should these one off boats get a measurement rating which is then scaled into the portmsouth ratings so that they can race and compete in the Alter qualifiers? (Yes!... when they get a class of boats together and hold a set number of events.... they can go be treated like any other PN class!)

How is that for a thread hijack...

Back on point...

My point is... the rules are set up by US so that WE GET A FAIR PLAYING FIELD. and they are transparent enough so nobody has an ax to grind about politics... or an advantage through some super duper technology that only an elite group of sailors get access to (see last olympics cluster !@#$$%).

So far... the T class and the F18 class have BANNED super duper sail materials (solves one problem from last olympics)

They replaced the opportunity for custom alu masts (read $$$$) with an ISAF mandated Best manufacturing process mast program where EVERY MAST MADE is serial numbered and the Bend characteristics are measured for each stick andthese nubmers are published for the public to view (see www.tornado.org) (solves 2nd problem from last olympics)

Now they are joining the F18 class by legislating a min team weight but still keeping their wind minimum for all events besides china (which they have no control over)

Seems fair to the majority of sailors in the class to me! It would be silly to generate a group of T cat sailors who tip the scales at weights that the junior sailors compete at.

Waiting for Dave I and Mary with flame suit on!