modified one designs

 like drilling holes or using a router.When you buy a SMOD you know what you are getting, nobody forces you to buy it. If you do not like those restrictions, or it is not competitive in handicap racing on your particualar bit of water, then go and buy a less restrictive class.

 

Clubs are never going to be interested in  in trying to give handicap numbers to slightly modded one designs.  Who would want the job of handicapping one Laser with routed off corners, another laser with a home made carbon top mast, another Laser with the rudder angled vertically etc etc all of which would make the boat easier to sail and hence a bit faster. The corresponding entry list would read :- Laser 1 mod (easier to gybe), Laser 1 mod (faster upwind), Laser 1 mod ( faster in waves). Clubs want to see "Laser" on the list so they know it is 1100 PY no, and not that in a breeze someone is using a carbon top mast with a PY of 1060, but in light winds is using the alloy pole at 1100. Who would want to be race officer with all that going on?

 

I guess the same sort of folks who would find it depressing to think they'd travelled to a windsurf regatta only to find that some (insert generic romance language based european nation of cheating b**tards) had dremmeled out their centreboard and filled it with high tensile rods.  

why dont people tend to modify there one design boats for PY club racing? (or do they, im new to this game)

If i had a 600quid laser id router off the transom corners for example and enter it as "laser 1 mod" - club would analyse its PY and maybe make it 1PY quicker (i can live with a 0.1% change in handicap...).

But maybe things not so drastic... Aero only allows one toestrap -- well f-em, put two in if thats what you like and enter as "RSAero-improved"... no permanent change so no resale hit and can easilyconvert back for class events.