To our class officers and members,
I would like to propose an amendment to our class rules. The primary
objective is to limit the length of centerboards with a secondary objective of
blunting the trailing edge to something less than razor sharp for safety
reasons.
Recent developments in other high performance have led to extremely high
aspect blades that are nearly two feet longer than the longest Swift blade
I've
seen to date. While it may be OK for boats with crews to deal with this
extraordinary blade, launching a Swift alone while trying to deal with a blade
this long would be difficult for seasoned skiff sailors and impossible for
everyone else. While landing on beaches, these blades will be equally tough to
deal with alone.
The problem would normally be self correcting, however, I fear that these
blades will become necessary in light to medium air if a sailor hopes to be
competitive. Without an amendment, someone is certain to develop a long board
and I feel it would be counterproductive to wait till that happens to decide to
outlaw them. That process would discourage future blade or rigging
development because those who spend their time and money working on
improvements
would not be inclined to continue. Faster, easier, cheaper, and more durable
should always be our goal.
The trailing edge issue is simply an issue of safety. A sharp blade will
likely be imperceptibly faster than a blunted blade. There is a very real
danger that a Swift sailor could seriously cut himself during the righting
process and not get to help in time. I would suggest that the rule contain
the
following language: Blades shall be built in such a manner that when a spacer
gauge with parallel sides 2 mm apart is placed astride of the trailing edge,
the gauge shall not be penetrated more than Ââ.
It is my hope to persuade our executive board to move on this before it
becomes a problem. I would appreciate it if your input is posted on the
mailing
list so everyone can hear any arguments to help them make a decision. I'm
inclined to use 55â as the maximum finished overall length unless boards
already exist that are a bit longer.
Bram
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