We are all mushroom sailors...
If I could I would remove all my previous comments.
We are all mushroom sailors...
Well, if you do a 360, all is forgiven....
Seriously, we should all go out, sail our Kirby sailboats and forget about the mess.
I decided a while ago not to post anymore on the subject, because my simple mind just couldn't comprehend what was going on. It appears, I am not the only one with that problem.
That is pretty funny.And thus, the new class name was coined......
Who wants to take a shot at the new logo to replace the laser beam and starburst? I am seeing a return of the orange hulls... man!
I dropped off a trailer full of boats at LCYC last night. Wurstfest regatta is just a few hours off. My boat is already rigged and ready to walk down the ramp.
You guys are not solving a damn thing by wasting your lives worrying about the businessmen who are attempting to control pieces of the little plastic boat pie.
And what is the mushroom boat? It started while the team was training in Hawaii, after Dennis Conner took delivery of '87 and turned '85 over to veteran helmsman Jack Sutphen as the trial boat.
Sutphen, who has sailed 10 12-meters in four America's Cup campaigns, says he wasn't always sure of the day's game plan.
"They would say, 'OK, it's light and fluky so we'll do some windward-leeward races for a while,' then they'd change their minds and do something else," Sutphen said. "We never knew.
"One of the crew finally said: 'You know, we live in the dark.' And another guy said, 'Yeah, we're mushrooms. We never know what's going on. Nobody ever interviews us or asks to take pictures of us.'
"So we made the mushroom flag. We're the mushroom crew. And now Australia picked it up on their second boat. We go by and salute each other. It's pretty good. They have an identity. Finally, after all this time, this trial horse crew is willing to have an identity.
"Before, they thought they were like subs for the first boat. Now they're sort of professional about it
It's a bit like being in a mark boat at the windward mark. We have GS and LPE fighting for first coming in fast on the starboard tack lay line. Getting gassed and fighting for clear air also on starboard is the ICLA boat struggling to make the mark. And then there is Kirby looking to be deep and coming in on the port tack layline... and oh, what is this... the breeze is shifting left and going soft. And here comes the ISAF umpire boats with penalty flags ready to fly. LPE makes an aggressive roll tack over and back while hailing Kirby "not to go in there..." Come on, you have to admit its going to be an interesting mark rounding.
And thus, the new class name was coined......
To get serious for a while.... does anyone understand the process and timing for submitting the new version of the Fundamental Rule for approval by ISAF? Does it have to go to one of the twice-a-year ISAF meetings?
My understanding is that class rule changes can be approved by the ISAF class rules sub-committee at any time through the year. If the committee says no the class has 30 days to comment and the committee will then reconsider. If they say no again, ILCA can refer the change to the ISAF Council. All from section 10.11 of the ISAF regulations.
Section 10.3 is interesting (Section 10 is all about the set up of ISAF classes)...
10.3 There shall be an executed agreement between the ISAF Ltd., the Class/Owners Association and where relevant the Trademark, Trade Name and the Copyright Owner. This agreement shall include at a minimum the following matters:
(a) define, if any, the ownership of the Copyright, Trade Name and Trademark and establish the rights granted and the responsibilities, obligations and restrictions that apply to the use of such rights generally and among the parties to the agreement;
...
So an agreement exists between ISAF, ILCA, the builders, and maybe BKI that in some way sets out the rights of the various parties. Copyright is mentioned where applicable, but no mention of design rights...
According to the minutes of the October meeting of the North American Laser Class Executive Committee, there was going to be a meeting of the ILCA World Council last weekend (November 5-6) the main focus of which would be to discuss "the next step for the change in the fundamental rule." I wonder if anyone is going to tell the members of the class what was decided at that meeting?
I don't think that is happening. When the leadership announced the membership vote result they said "Therefore we will seek the approval of ISAF within the next few days as required by the ILCA Class Rules, part five article 30(d)."(http://www.laserinternational.org/info/fundamentalrulechangevotingresults). That was back on the 28th Oct so, allowing for "the next few days" and assuming they are telling us the truth, then the ISAF have probably already decided. They refer to the ISAF but make no mention of the World Council. Alternatively, maybe they are being economical with information (again).
Ian
The following is posted without benefit of many hours considering its exact wording. Please simply consider the basic concept:
The builders are so foolish they are letting go of the marionette strings that have for 40 years, controlled the activities of the classes. The funding has stopped....
I am not sure I understand your point Mr. Ian. That issue always exists - even now, no? What is faster Hyde or North. EU or AUS boats.
Strangely enough, 50% of the major measurement issues I've had at major regattas have been with the builders quality control e.g battens or incorrectly placed radial bottom sleeves, or equipment supplied with new boats being illegal e.g. hiking straps with two loops. The remaining 50% of issues generally fall into people not being able to rig their control lines legally, incorrectly placed sail numbers or with local (national) safety requirements. It's incredibly rare that you'll meet up with something where you suspect that the competitor is doing something where that hope to gain some advantage by modifying their boats in some way.Why measure any boats at regattas other than spot checks followed by lifetime bans for those caught with modified boats??