Reply To: Hull corrector weight discussion
Hi All,
I agree with you Neil, none of the boats I have owned have been anywhere near minimum weight minus correctors. Even when built from scratch. The problem is not in making them light, but making them stiff enough.
If the proposal is accepted, then builders would try to make the lightest humanly possible OK,s (What? 60kgs?) then load them with ‘correctors’ to gain the benifit of extra weight in the middle! (What we are trying to avoid)
To get them stiff enough at this weight, high-tech materials and methods would be the only way to go, increasing costs (again), and ruling out just about anyone thinking of building as a DIYer. Do we need this?
As regards lowering the minimum weight over time (or even in one fell swoop!) I think that this would make the boat even more difficult to sail, and put off more prospective owners than it does now.
Much better I think, that we police the rules that we have.
If a boat is found to have stringers (say) only in the ‘cockpit area’ and not the full length of the boat (as it should) then Plainly it’s not an OK and should be ruled out! How many are?
We are our own police, but how many boats have been ‘checked over’, say, during last years Qualifiers, or even had their correctors checked? I know, I know, it cuts down drinking time, but as an International Class, we really should do this kind of thing.
Mine wasn’t – but then again, my boat doesn’t have correctors!
Bob Bourne.
