gouvernail
Super Opinionated and Always Correct
In another thread I suggested we should let sailors sail without rule 42 whenever planing conditions exist.
I was reminded by another poster of the usual poo poos about the Mistral class pumparamas, the fear of conditioning overwhelming all other factors, and the chance the winds could die in the middle of a free for all race.
Did I ever NOT want to set off another discussion of the pros and cons of kinetics.
1. Mistrals took the pumping to the absurd level and when nobody fixed the rules, the sport was damaged.
2. I do not believe for a minute that conditioning is less than huge in big breeze already. When the wind blows, I think we already line up according to condition with a size factor mixing the results.
3. If the wind drops below the whitecap level, the committee could simply raise a flag reinstituting the kinetics rules at any mark or abandon.
My opinion about rules in general:
We should constantly seek out the best ways to play the game. We should not assume that every rule or game change means the previous game is forever abandoned and the new game is forever accepted as the norm.
So finally...returning to removing the kinetics rules in planing conditions. I would LOVE to see a midwinter championship sailed with a plan:
Iff there is a predicted day of wind where there will likely be planing and surfing conditions for the entire day.
Iff there are competent judges available for the races which will be sailed with the kinetics rules in effect.
Iff competitoirs will be able to throw out at least one race.
I would like to see two or four races sailed in that breeze such that half of those races are without the kinetics rules.
My hunch: The competitors will finish in the exact same order and the competitors will find the sailing more fun in the kinetics rules free races.
Also: I would not be surprised if some younger and less skilled big strong sailors break parts of their boats and/or tire themselvesmore than usual. That is a test of skill. Boat busters fail boat care skills tests.
Also: Most of us would sail about the same as we always do because after the first 100 yards we are just sailing around the course and sort of hiking about as hard as we have the energy to hike. Pump constantly? With what for energy? Would an old fat fart catch an occasional wave because he used three pumps? Yes. Would some skinny kid jump on the same wave without even pumping once? Yes. Would the kid pass eventually anyway? Would the old fart get tired? What do you think?
My opinion: I like surfing down waves. I am not all that good at it and sometimes it takes me nine or ten pumps to catch a wave. Once on the wave it often takes an occasional pump to hold my fun surf ride. I hate the part of racing that says I must just sink down in the water and watch a fun wave roll past. In marginal planing conditions, were I not so damn competitive, it would be more fun just to leave the race course and go for a fun ride.
My opinion is the kinetics rules make it such that the sailors who are EXACTLY the right size have a huge advantage. Those sailors can ride their craft at full performance. The rest of the sailors are not allowed to PUSH their boats around the course. They are required to just go more slowly and hope their skills are sufficiently BETTER than the right sized sailors such that they can compete despite the handicap.
Every rule does not have to be written for the olympics and world championships.
Every rule must not be written to allow the least common denominator a chance.
I think once the wind picks up, kinetics rules free sailing would be a lot more fun for most sailors most of the time.
The purpose of this thread is to find out if anybody disagrees with me and why. If there are people who think differently about this subject, I need to be educated. As you can see by what I wrote already, I just don't understand. Help me!!
I was reminded by another poster of the usual poo poos about the Mistral class pumparamas, the fear of conditioning overwhelming all other factors, and the chance the winds could die in the middle of a free for all race.
Did I ever NOT want to set off another discussion of the pros and cons of kinetics.
1. Mistrals took the pumping to the absurd level and when nobody fixed the rules, the sport was damaged.
2. I do not believe for a minute that conditioning is less than huge in big breeze already. When the wind blows, I think we already line up according to condition with a size factor mixing the results.
3. If the wind drops below the whitecap level, the committee could simply raise a flag reinstituting the kinetics rules at any mark or abandon.
My opinion about rules in general:
We should constantly seek out the best ways to play the game. We should not assume that every rule or game change means the previous game is forever abandoned and the new game is forever accepted as the norm.
So finally...returning to removing the kinetics rules in planing conditions. I would LOVE to see a midwinter championship sailed with a plan:
Iff there is a predicted day of wind where there will likely be planing and surfing conditions for the entire day.
Iff there are competent judges available for the races which will be sailed with the kinetics rules in effect.
Iff competitoirs will be able to throw out at least one race.
I would like to see two or four races sailed in that breeze such that half of those races are without the kinetics rules.
My hunch: The competitors will finish in the exact same order and the competitors will find the sailing more fun in the kinetics rules free races.
Also: I would not be surprised if some younger and less skilled big strong sailors break parts of their boats and/or tire themselvesmore than usual. That is a test of skill. Boat busters fail boat care skills tests.
Also: Most of us would sail about the same as we always do because after the first 100 yards we are just sailing around the course and sort of hiking about as hard as we have the energy to hike. Pump constantly? With what for energy? Would an old fat fart catch an occasional wave because he used three pumps? Yes. Would some skinny kid jump on the same wave without even pumping once? Yes. Would the kid pass eventually anyway? Would the old fart get tired? What do you think?
My opinion: I like surfing down waves. I am not all that good at it and sometimes it takes me nine or ten pumps to catch a wave. Once on the wave it often takes an occasional pump to hold my fun surf ride. I hate the part of racing that says I must just sink down in the water and watch a fun wave roll past. In marginal planing conditions, were I not so damn competitive, it would be more fun just to leave the race course and go for a fun ride.
My opinion is the kinetics rules make it such that the sailors who are EXACTLY the right size have a huge advantage. Those sailors can ride their craft at full performance. The rest of the sailors are not allowed to PUSH their boats around the course. They are required to just go more slowly and hope their skills are sufficiently BETTER than the right sized sailors such that they can compete despite the handicap.
Every rule does not have to be written for the olympics and world championships.
Every rule must not be written to allow the least common denominator a chance.
I think once the wind picks up, kinetics rules free sailing would be a lot more fun for most sailors most of the time.
The purpose of this thread is to find out if anybody disagrees with me and why. If there are people who think differently about this subject, I need to be educated. As you can see by what I wrote already, I just don't understand. Help me!!