Important announcement from the Tornados

I dunno why cat sailors get into this them & us stuff ...

Sorry for the double post, but below is a press release from the International Tornado Association:

Edit, should have read the front page first. http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=143935.  I will leave it below for easy reference.



JUST ADD WATER: THE NEW-LOOK TORNADO BLOWS IN

Major changes are in the wind to revolutionise one of the most spectacular sailing classes in the world as it campaigns to earn its place back in the Olympic arena.

Moves are afoot to completely revamp the class, breaking the old mould and transforming it into a more accessible, more friendly, one-design class with appeal to the masses, media and a new fleet of Generation Next sailors.

The idea is to transform Tornado racing from an arms race back into a sailing race accessible to everyone and conducted on a level-playing field. To have the racing decided on the water, not by a development program or technological edges. To have a new generation of athletes racing high-octane craft into a new era.

In essence, the men and women of the International Tornado Association are responding to the winds of change constantly blowing through world sport, to update and freshen the look of the fastest boat at past Olympics,  making it a more appealing and attractive prospect to a rising tide of new, young sailors looking for the ultimate thrill - and Olympic glory.

Ideas mooted to modernise a class, already renown for its thrills, spills and spectacular speed and working zealously to return to the Olympic program in 2012, include a shorter and sharper racing format, a one-design campaign equipment kit available at the touch of a computer key or by phone call, a reduction in campaign costs to help attract a new wave of talent from new areas of the globe _ making it the boat for one and all.

The simplicity of having a one-design craft built to last available quickly and easily allows for a more defined, direct and faster route to the Olympics for aspiring champions.

'`We have listened to and taken aboard ideas circulating in the sailing world, from the boat park right up to ISAF, and we believe it's time for a change and that we can lead the way,'' said International Tornado Association president Carolijn Brouwer, 1998 ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year and a multiple world champion and medallist in a range of classes, most recently the Tornado catamaran.

``We are looking at having a boat that can be supplied, that is one-design, has identical sails and is not subject to ever-changing advancement. In short, a multi-hull where we can contain the cost, making it more affordable to a wider audience and more accessible to a new breed of sailors.

``What we would like to see is a sailor in Botswana, which does indeed have a sailing club, able to compete with the exact same equipment as the world champion, the European champion, the Asian Pacific champion and the next Olympic champion.

``But, at the same time, build on the classes attractiveness to both male and female sailors while conquering new territories, encouraging youth development and keeping costs down.''

International Tornado Association vice-president Darren Bundock, a two-time Olympic medallist and six-time world Tornado champion, believes the boat is the most exciting and well-suited multi-hull for Olympic warfare.

``It's fast, media and spectator friendly, tests the skills of the best multi-hull sailors in the world and at the same time is durable and cost effective,'' Mr Bundock said. ``Vote 1 Tornado.``
 
The International Tornado Association is hoping the 11th medal is retained at the 2012 London Olympics after it was initially dropped from the program.

For further information please contact Carolijn Brouwer at president@tornado.org




Edited by Worthy

GRF didnt I see you in another thread with a 'cat'?

yeah the sooner we get rid of the half boats in the pound the sooner we can come to our senseses...lol

Originally posted by Guest#260 I dunno why cat sailors get into this them & us stuff ...

and lets not even mention sailboards...........

Originally posted by Doug.H Originally posted by Stuart O However by one designing the white sails (spinnakers are mainly Gran Segals) would mean that the ability is down to the sailor and not because they have developed a radical sail. Sorry but thats simply not true. Everyone having the same sails doesn't make things more equal (believe it or not). I keep hearing this said time and time again but when has the best sailor not won?? Whoever puts in the most time and has the most experience pulls into the lead. Examples: Everyone has the same sails in the RS200 class and roger gilbert won. In the merlin rocket class there are lots of sailmakers competing, roger gilbert won. Nick craig won the RS400 where everyone has the same sails and also wins in the OK's and B14 class where there are competing sailmakers. Ben ainslie won in the laser class where everyone has the same sails, and wins in everything else he sails where there are many sailmakers competing. Shall I continue? Making sails single manufacturer does one thing. It damages the health of racing lofts across the world who rely on the business of international classes. Doug

Counter example- one SMOD regatta I know well was decided by a
distance of 18 inches in one heat. Another was decided by 3 lengths in 4
days racing. In one class, the two sailors weighed within 2kg of each
other; the other was weight-equalised.

Surely all the might and science of the modern sailmaking industry could
have made more than 18" difference in a 45 minute race? Surely a
sailmaker, working with a multi-millionaire four-time world champ ex-
Olympian (the runner up in the second champs) could have made a sail
that was fast enough to close such a narrow gap (other races were
probably closer)?

If the skill of the sailmaker cannot make a significant difference, then
shouldn't we just sack them all?

Surely, given time and money and sailor input, they can make a sail that
has a significant speed advantage over other older sails.

If not, then why bother with developing sails? If developing sails makes a
difference in results and speed, then spending cash on developing sails
can make a difference in results. If developing sails does not make a
significant difference in results and speed, then why bother?

I just changed from SMOD gear inside a development class to non-SMOD
gear inside the development class. Sure, the non-SMOD stuff suits my
weight better, but also someone else's input (the sailmaker and hull
designer) has now affected my results.....

Yes, the non-SMOD stuff is faster, arguably "better" in many ways, yes
selecting it can take some skill (although not always, it's not that hard to
ask what is fast and then walk out and buy it) but it is hardly a level
playing field.

In our 'loose OD' cat, sail shapes have changed. We went from being top
1/3 of our first nats, to the back in our second. We were using the same
sails, which had been hardly used (and should have been durable enough
to last given their age and the care with which they were used).

So did I sail a really stupid series (highly likely) or were the new gen sails
faster (as many said)? How do we find out? By spending a couple of
thousand quid on sails to replace our little-used, sound, tough but
outmoded sails so we can gain that vital minute or two per race. Oh, and
now there's another generation of sails and people are spending money
on more new sails and more recuts.

That's great in some ways, but a complete pain in others.

Making sails single manufacturer does one thing - it means that we can
go out and know we have the same gear as others. In the SMODs I sail the
few, if any, of the fastest sailors round here (including former Olympians
and world champs etc) have special selected gear and do NOT change it
every regatta as some claim.








Edited by Chris 249