Round the world
Left: definitely a wolf… as George David’s Rambler 88 chews up a big pack of sheep in St Tropez, threading her way through diverse cruiser-racers and slow-moving classics. In a similar vein, Lloyd Thornburg’s Carkeek 40 Fromo puts much bigger cruiser-racers in their place (above) in St Barts. In IRC fleets of 10 years ago the range of boat types was still relatively narrow; today the wolves and sheep need their own playgrounds if the wolves are not to get bored… and the sheep are not to get eaten
participation in rated racing under the universal rule of choice. The popularity of that universal rule then should be rewarded and encouraged with a core of prestigious races and events, of course with a yearly world championship title included. If you can use your ‘Fast’ boat for a Fast or Ton Cup, one or two of the classic offshores and a rated world championship, all under the rule your boat is designed and optimised for, this should be enough for even the most trophy-hungry wolf to stay out of sheep territory. For me there is one essential condition to this: minimise measurements and their complexity. LOA, Beam, Draft, Displace- ment, Sail Area, Rig and Sail Dimensions, Rig Weight and VCG and Fin and Bulb Weight, that should pretty much be it. Possibly set some decent additional limits on structural quality and on use of materials. Limit appendages and what they can do for boats up to probably 72ft or diversify accordingly, like Fast40 and Fast40-Canting. Beyond that it should be free for all. Then sheep can safely continue to pick their shepherd and endlessly refine their Arcadia. In itself an honourable game and one that can be enjoyed without travelling too far and with spending kept to a reasonable level. The grass will always be greener next door, but if that means mixing with the wolves you better sharpen your teeth first.
As for the US, it will be a long haul. The problem is that if you do not have and maintain a rule that stimulates boatbuilding then the fleet will keep reducing in numbers because of older boats falling by the wayside. Without new building the expertise of how to use the latest techniques gets lost quickly and is hard to regain. Buying secondhand from abroad will not fill that gap completely and building abroad is not everybody’s cup of tea. You need to stimulate what is left of the high end of the competition and hope organising the wolves attracts the sheep back to the meadow. I do not go along with Bjørn Johnson and link it to capitalism but, apart from some strong one-design classes, for sure there is a tradition in US yachting to be a lone bear rather than one of the wolf pack. I have no immediate thoughts on how to change this. I feel inspiration should probably come from successes outside the US and from international competition coming to the US. So a first step possibly is to support events that already attract participation from abroad, like Key West Race Week, and to keep travelling abroad for high-level competition. Second step could be to create a local variation of the Fast40 class. TP52 would please me too but I feel we tried that and somehow a box rule is too tight an experience for most US owners. If you do keep it possible to move boats from the US to Great Britain for competition and vice versa that is a strong step. Not because the Poms know better but because they were there first and I think we just agreed one rule for wolves is the way to go. Good luck, you need it.
Rob Weiland, TP52 and Maxi72 class manager SEAHORSE 27
in 40 days ! Thank you Francis Joyon & Idec Sport
raises the performance of IMOCA and maxi trimarans:
Jules Verne trophy, Vendée Globe, The Transat, Route du Rhum, Jacques Vabre transat
Flying sail furlers & Stayfurlers
RACHEL FALLON-LANGDON
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t Phot : Pr: P ofurl - D131 o
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