ISMA News - Association Suisse 6mJI

ISMA News International 6mJI Association Bulletin 1/2004
SAIL RULE FOR THE CLASSICS
Inspired by the discussion during the past year about the proposed sail rule on the classic web site, http://
www.classic6metre.info/, I want to present some thoughts for an alternative suggestion for a new sail rule for the classics.
My emphasis is on cost reduction, let´s have cost efficient rig, hardware and sails in order to afford to keep the original
hulls in shape.
1. MATERIALS. Many arguments have been brought up in the discussion in favour of more modern materials than
dacron. Looked from the pre-war perspective, dacron would be as modern as other synthetics, even the color is
probably much brighter white than the orinal cotton sails were – so maybe the question of classic materials is
irrelevant.
2. COSTS. The cost of sails comes firstly from the strive to keep the original shape of the sail unaltered and from
making the sail as light as possible at the same time – this leads to expensive high tech sails with often short racing
life time expectancy. Secondly the cost comes from the number of sails in the wardrobe.
3. SAIL RULE. The following aims should be included in the rule as a way to limit the costs:
- limiting the number of sails (eg. 1 mainsail, 3 foresails, 2 spinnakers) would limit the total cost of the sail wardrobe
- minimum cloth weights for different sails would make the use of the most expensive materials unnecessary and
lengthen the racing life time of them
- introducing other ways to lenghthen the life time of sails, eg. smaller roaches, longer battens in mainsails
- limiting the number of new sails acquired per season would further limit the costs (works in the Etchells class)
I hope that we can continue the discussion on both this matter and other questions regarding the classics at the classic
website and hopefully find a compromise for a new rule that the majority of the class would be willing to accept. I believe
that this way we will get bigger fleets and more fun and tighter racing at the future international 6 metre regattas.
Tapio Lehtinen
FIN 53, May Be IV
Comment to the Sail Rule proposal for the Classic’s by Ian Howlett:
Thoughts on Possible Sail Rules for Classics
There has been considerable discussion on the idea of reducing the costs of sails by only allowing woven Dacron (
polyester ) of certain defined characteristics to be used for Classic sails .
I should point out that I am not a sailmaker but have experience of a number of different Classes so hopefully these ,
which are my own personal thoughts , will be useful to those who will have to decide such things .
Perhaps the way to tackle the problem is to look at the underlying issues . Once these are identified and a strategy
developed to achieve the intended objectives , a dacron mainsail might become just as desirable ( fast ) a sail as one made
of the so called exotics - so owners could have free choice of materials
„Kirlo „ in 1982 ( European’s in Helsinki ) was probably the last modern to use an 8oz dacron main ( 1982 North
Alameda ) as her primary mainsail to win a major regatta so I do have some experience of this type . This , with its
traditional length battens ) is still a fine sail after a rest but begins to fade if the wind is up , as a Regatta goes on . This
means presumably that it is overgirth for its material and would be a more serviceable sail with the roach reduced or with
longer battens . Interestingly it is feels a better sail than its 1981 equivalent - and this is likely to be a difference in the
material - and this variability would surely be a big problem for a „ Dacron only rule „ .
As I see it the main issues are :-
Longevity
Cost - which is linked to longevity .
Aesthetics
Question .. Could it be that it is a mistake to use the same Rules for Modern and Classic Boats ?
These appear to be the obvious For and Against points ..
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