420 winged rudder

Before the internet hounds are set loose yet again, does anybody actually know for a fact that they didn't have permission to use the infringeing equipment?

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by Peaky You usually have more luck asking for forgiveness than permission though. Even if that's true, the consequences of not getting forgiveness are far more serious.

In this case, the consequences of not getting permission are not being allowed to sail, and the concequences of not getting forgiveness is having your result expunged. Assuming you didn't get into the choccies, the dsq doesn't really make a lot of difference, does it? You still know where you came.

Do people not tell the organizers because they know that QM will give them a harsh handicap, like they do other boats with no PY? In a pursuit race, this can make it very disheartening.

Which isn't to say I think sailing out of class boats is correct.

But back to the OP - does anyone have any info on whether these winged rudders put the 420's in question ahead of the normally ruddered boats, and are there any pictures?

Wow, it is just as well the weather is S*** today, else I'd have wasted my time indoors when I could have been outside. But no, instead I spent the time looking through all the rule books trying to find the bits where it says that winter handicap events are 'fun' and that the RRS no longer apply. Nor, despite a very close search of the SIs, could I find it written anywhere that you could 'run what you brung' - in other words, class legal applies to other people. Now there are historical precedents for what happened that most of us can remember, when a front running Merlin Rocket used sails that were not legal (but only on a technicality) and ended up having to retire from a series that they'd (on paper and on the water) apparently won.

Originally posted by Andymac Originally posted by Lukepiewalker The point is, as with just about everything else, you should ask first, then you avoid embarrasement.   Agreed, that is indeed the crux of the matter. In all probability, the 'trial' 800 sails, the 420 wing rudders? and indeed the '2011' Merlin sails would have been given the same PY as their class counterparts, but it is the organisers of the event's perogative to decide and for no one else to presume. A declaration beforehand is the only way of avoiding any controversy. Bear in mind, some years ago a very well sailed Bosun was DSQ'd from a high placing in the BM, because it was using an assymetric kite (which I believe at the time had tacit agreement by the class to trial), which had not been declared to the race organisation.

Originally posted by Lukepiewalker The class association can give dispensation in their own events, not other peoples. Otherwise I'm asking the topper class for dispensation to sail a foiling moth off their handicap next year... The event organisers can give dispensation. The point is, as with just about everything else, you should ask first, then you avoid embarrasement.

Spot on.