New rating rules on "flying headsails"

[Laser310]

As to whether or not the hit is worth it, conversation for a sailmaker I think.

I already know what the sailmaker's response is: "Yes.., you need another sail!"

 

[flaming]

I already know what the sailmaker's response is: "Yes.., you need another sail!"

Too true to be funny...

 

[Steve The Seagull]

It is an interesting rule they have created. It is written in a way that limits how small the sails can be so they in effect can not replace jibs.

Time will tell wheter there is much uptake, but I think the rating penalty will put off many until it is a more known configuration. A well designed 75% mid girth sail is still very versatile and as flaming says means you don't have to have mutliple certs or take a penalty inshore.

 

[Laser310]

A well designed 75% mid girth sail is still very versatile

my experience is that 75% midgirth sails - i.e. C0's - often get pushed to TWA/TWS were they are very difficult for amateur crew, especially helmsmen, to use them effectively. They end up being slow with too much steering and occasional spin outs. The sailmakers are maybe a bit too optimistic about the TWA/TWS where they can be used in ocean sailing conditions.

That's why these new sails are so useful; they require much less luff tension, so they are more likely to be properly set.., and non-expert helmsmen and trimmers can make them work in windy wavy conditions with TWA less than 90.

on the boat i mentioned above, the sail is basically a J1 replacement for distance racing - we can leave the J1 on the dock and can use the new sail from nearly beating in light air, to heavier air close reaching. We still have the C0 - which is larger.., but don't get pushed into it when the wind is up and/or too far forward. Although it seems like that one, which is ORC legal won't be IRC legal.

 

[Birdseye]

True, but the situation has evolved to the point that a boat that can expect to be up in the chocolates on an offshore race is wildly uncompetitive on an inshore race when racing under the same system. Now whilst it's undoubtedly true that some sailors "have another reason to be there" the crew who are used to at least feeling like they are in with a shout offshore are unlikely to do much inshore racing to make up the numbers at the back.

I wonder if it really is about issues of handicap and boat set up. To me, the attractions of offshore racing are very different to those of round the cans. Long legs where weather changes and tides play a much bigger part than slick sail handling at a mark, and multiple starts in a day. Sure a really competitive / winning crew in one form of racing would not be keen on being tail end Charlies in another but I would not have thought that handicap changes alone would solve the issue. Certainly we have boats in our club that were bought with the Fastnet and similar in mind and which really arent that suitable for w/l at all. And vice versa.

 

[Laser310]

it just underscores the inherent problem with single-number rating systems like IRC

IRC would probably respond by saying "we never set out to rate serious racing boats.., we wanted to rate cruising boats who occasionally race"

but the fact is that some pretty serious racing boats do race under IRC, and IRC is happy for that. Particularly in Britain, pretty important races use IRC.

However, the rule is just too limiting, and is arguably hurting participation

It would be better if more races adopted ORC