Attention: Swift Solo Sailors / ClassMembers / Persons Who Have Bought "Plans"
This morning, November 24, 2003, the second date upon which the Swift
Solo class is to vote upon its class rules, I spoke with Bram Dally by
telephone.
I asked Bram when the vote on the rules is supposed to take place, and
he told me not today, but at some point in the future. When in the future I
do not know. He said that he has more rules changes to post on the website.
Bram asked me if I have submitted a license agreement to him, and I
said no and asked him why I need to submit a license agreement to him. Bram
said
I need to do that (1) to receive future "revisions" and (2) so my boat will
measure in. Is this a sailboat racing class or a business for Bram Dally?
Concerning changes to the rules, Bram told me that there is intended to
be a requirement that one submit a photograph of the interior of one's hull
to the measurer before the deck is bonded to it. When I asked him why, he said
because the camera inspection he had planned does not really work as intended
and therefore there would be a greater likelihood of catching "cheaters".
Bram, as usual, seemed very concerned with catching "cheaters". I asked how
this
would help to catch "cheaters" since all a "cheater" would have to do is take
a photograph of the interior with one apparent bulkhead configutation and
then construct the configuration that would be used before the deck was bonded
to
the hull.
"Well," said Bram, "this would stop someone from 'bootletting' plans."
I asked what it means to "bootleg" plans and Bram said, "to build a Swift
Solo without paying two hundred dollars ($200.) for a set of plans. I asked if
a
boat identical in every way to a boat that measures in as a Swift Solo but
for which two hundred dollars ($200.) had not been paid for a set of plans
would
measure in and Bram said, "No, because the two hundred dollars ($200.) would
not have been paid."
So, now it seems that Bram intends to be paid not just the three
hundred dollars ($300.) that he has put into the rules as a designer's royalty
for
himself, but another two hundred dollars ($200.) in addition for a total of
five hundred dollars ($500.) for every boat built.
When I suggested that this strategy for catching "cheaters" is really
about getting paid the five hundred dollars ($500.) before or when the
photograph is submitted to the measurer, Bram denied that stating, "it is for a
variety of other reasons having to do with how a boat is constructed." He
refused
however to discuss those issues saying that he had already discussed them for a
couple of hours with five or six other people. When I asked him who these
people are and how I can contact them so that perhaps they can explain the
construction issue to me, Bram abruptly hung up the telephone.
If you were a party to the recent discussion concerning the class rules
and construction issues, will you please e-mail me to let me know who you are
and how I can contact you.
I purchased plans on August 3, 2003 with the understanding that Bram
would have completed the class rules by August 30, 2003 and instituted them no
later than September 1, 2003.
Please e-mail me concerning any discussions you may have had with Bram
concerning the construction of the Swift Solo or any other discussion you may
have had that might shed some light on the reasons for his failure to
institute class rules.
Sincerely,
Eldon Harvey
harveynestor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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