Advertising via sail numbers? 55

......again....

I'm waiting for the pushy parents to arrive and accuse us of picking on their boys....the suggest we go to specsavers, or worse.

there are several ways of dealing with sail numbers:

-the laser way - yo sail with the registered sail number of the hull.
- total anarchy - any number will do

May I suggest an alternative - boats will sail with their registered sail number OR give a substantial donation to a designated charity for the right to change sail number.

Another suggestion - all boats shall be class legal. If they are not they may compete but with an automatic 20% handicap penalty. We do something similar in Echo habdicap in which boats new to the handicap system get a huge penalty, which adjusts after several races.

By the way - a boat that knowingly declares themselves to be class legal when they are not would be susceptible to a rule 2 protest, or a rule 69 hearing.

Originally posted by gordon there are several ways of dealing with sail numbers: -the laser way - yo sail with the registered sail number of the hull. - total anarchy - any number will do May I suggest an alternative - boats will sail with their registered sail number OR give a substantial donation to a designated charity for the right to change sail number. Another suggestion - all boats shall be class legal. If they are not they may compete but with an automatic 20% handicap penalty. We do something similar in Echo habdicap in which boats new to the handicap system get a huge penalty, which adjusts after several races. By the way - a boat that knowingly declares themselves to be class legal when they are not would be susceptible to a rule 2 protest, or a rule 69 hearing.

I am surprised the NoR's for these events do not invite entrants to clearly state any deviation from class rules.
Yes, it would be reasonable to apply a handicap adjustment, but only to the upper limits of what can be plausibly gained. I reckon that would be never more than a percent or two for a change of sailcloth, fair sailing involves the race committee being fair too, and making a defensible estimate for a non-class boat.
I don't like the idea of people being able to buy the right for a special sail number, I think if someone has borrowed a sail or boat and wants to sail with a wrong number, that is a very different thing from advertising via the sail number. If it's a 'no advertising' event, then under the old rules, surely the sail number would still rank as advertising? In the same way as some boats have had to sail without displaying their names?

They are made by Banks and marketed by Speed as they no longer have a loft.