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Stefan Lloyd View Drop Down
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Posts: 1599 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Stefan Lloyd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Crew Weight Limits
    Posted: 27 Aug 04 at 6:18am
Originally posted by brys

What about those of us who are not in the first flush of youth and weigh in at 110kg and whos two sons are 95kg plus....are we to be barred from sailing a class that appeals to us?

I weigh 75kg and I'm not in the first flush of youth either. If I said "A Finn appeals to me and it's unfair that heavier sailors do better" I don't think I'd get a lot of sympathy. I'd be told to sail a boat that is suitable for me, or get to the gym and put some muscle on. If you really want to sail a particular class and you are too heavy, have you considered losing some weight? Sorry if that sounds blunt. Alternatively, sail a class without a weight limit like 707s.

If it were true that lightweights in keelboats gained in light airs what they lost in heavy, then skippers wouldn't work hard to make sure that their crew were as close as possible to the class maximum. Everyone who has sailed keelboats seriously knows it pays to be close to the class maximum weight. 

 

 
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Anarchist View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Anarchist Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Aug 04 at 4:08pm

On the big boats you''ll get flicked off if you're too heavy or you'll be given a warning to lose 5 kilos. The answer - Eat less pies, move to another class or change crew. These are issues faced by ALL sailors so you can hardly claim it unfair or whinge about it. Weight limits are placed on boats not because someone reckons that it sounds like a nice number - the boats design, handling and performance are taken into account to give the best weight to achieve the best results all round. This means that you can go to an event on the limit, knowing that no one is going to have an advantage if the breeze picks up.

I reckon weight limits are a good thing but a real bi-atch to stick to!! 
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brys View Drop Down
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Posts: 89 		Post Options Post Options   Quote brys Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Aug 04 at 3:41pm

What about those of us who are not in the first flush of youth and weigh in at 110kg and whos two sons are 95kg plus....are we to be barred from sailing a class that appeals to us?

Surely on light wind days the racing snake midgets will win and the fat boys will loose and vice versa on the plus force 5 days...thats how it has always been...why do we try to level the playing field allthe time.....? 

We pay our class dues and the entry fees and yet get chucked due to being a bit on the large size.....seems a bit elitist and unfair!!!

 
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Stefan Lloyd View Drop Down
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Posts: 1599 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Stefan Lloyd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Aug 04 at 2:51pm

I don't think they are set "so low". 270kg for an SB3 is an average of 90kg. That is pretty heavy for a fit male and it is almost inconceivable that an athletic woman would weight that much. I know that theorectically you can sail an SB3 4-up, but almost nobody does.

Do you suffer if you have a lightweight crew in a keelboat? Absolutely yes. I owned a 707 for several years. Having 4 crew on the rail instead of 5 cost 3-4 boatlengths up a mile-long beat. You don't get it back downwind. Repeat that over 3-4 beats and it is going to make a huge difference to your finishing position.

Almost all major keelboats operate a weight limit and it invariably pays to sail close to it. If you don't have a weight limit, all the winning will be done by large men. Most owners find it is hard enough to find good, keen, talented crew without needing them to be heavy-weight males as well.  

If you want a class without weight limits, sail a 707.

 

 

 
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brys View Drop Down
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Posts: 89 		Post Options Post Options   Quote brys Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Aug 04 at 9:52am

Are these a good thing or bad thing?

Do they restrict the growth of classes?

How many clases impose strict weight limits on their crews.....?

Why are they set so low?

The Cork 1720 has a limit of 450 Kg and the SB3 is set at 270 kg.

Has anyone suffered from these limits by being over or under?

Are they a manufacturers markeing tool?

Arguements please........
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