[MHml] ISAF Multihull Offshore Regs

[Peter Lillywhite]

Thanks Ross, I have considered carrying washboards but it would need to
be very long to accommodate the opening and the open door in addition
the space at the ends would give a very small area for support. We also
only have sitting headroom on the bridgedeck and given that I interpret
the local sheerline to be the rear beam (the lowest point in the cockpit
that water would just flow out of) the space between the top of the
washboard and the top of door would be I believe insufficient to squeeze
through. I will measure it however. My reasoning is that I have a
seamanlike arrangement and that I can back up by calculations that the
cockpit will naturally clear in less than 5 seconds is it not
unreasonable that the regs should accept this.

Regarding the heavy weather jib, I look on our roller reefing jib as a
heavy weather jib, its area may be larger but that can easily resolved
by reefing and this will be done in our case in about 18-20 knots
apparent, early on in the event of bad weather. In all other aspects the
sail is built to withstand heavy conditions and there is a definite
performance penalty in light airs. In over 40 years of sailing I have
never been happy to sail without a storm jib and I don't take the name
to literally. To use a storm jib may not be quick but they usually are
safe and reliable. Past experience leads me not to expect to be able to
hoist a sail with the area of a heavy weather jib over a rolled jib in
the sort of conditions that a HWJ would be needed. I believe it is an
option with a small storm jib however. Once again ISAF don't seem to
accept that a jib can be successfully reefed, I'm sure Gordon Myers
wouldn't agree.

I would like to know that when presenting myself and my cat for a race
with all the time and expense involved that I'm not going to be told to
go away. The safety regs should enable me to enter with confidence. Its
not as though an Azuli is an untried and untested or unusual boat and is
far less extreme the many boats entering Cat2 races. Your suggestion of
MOCRA signing off the boat is an excellent one that I shall pursue with
them. A few years back a friend with a similar boat completed the RBR
and had big difficulties satisfying the race committee on the safety of
doors. He just succeeded after demonstration kicks at the door hence my
concern (this action in my opinion did little to prove that they were
seaworthy however). I always found Alan Greene very fair and logical but
unfortunately he has moved on.

I'm sorry Ross I still think the regs are a mess and need sorting out;
all the time they require multis to recover from a knock down how can
they be thought definitive?

Many thanks for your input though.

Cheers Peter



-----Original Message-----
From: multihulls-bounces at steamradio.com
[mailto:multihulls-bounces at steamradio.com] On Behalf Of Ross Hobson
Sent: 29 December 2007 13:07
To: Informed discussion of multihull issues
Subject: Re: [MHml] ISAF Multihull Offshore Regs

Peter
re washboard
 -  as i understand your issue is the door/hatch arranagment 
reading the regs - as long as hatch/door is openable  from inside and
out. that is OK.
if bottom of door is below the sheerline (and as this is not defined in
the regs it is open to intrepretation - and it would be reasonable to
argue that any opening level with a bridge deck is above the sheerline),

 at worse you need to have a method to be 'capable of blocking it off to
level of sheerline' 
- ie have a bit of ply, some screws and a tube of sealant that could do
the job stowed somewhere
 
re headsail
heavy weather is larger (by definition) than a storm job, therfore it is
the sail you would use in heavy weather. Not a bomb proof orange, non
aramid, storm jib
in a Cat 4 race you would not expect to endure storm conditions (they
are inhore races in protected waters) hence 'heavy weather jib'
if you have a storm job by definition, it is your heavy weather jib as
it does not exceed the specified dimensions
To set a heavy weather jib inside the roller all you need is a halyard
and tack point with a loose luff jib. you can add 'extras' eg velcro or
rope lines to act as hanks to run over the furled jib
 
 
how any race inspector acts is always down to an opinion/intrepretation
of the regs
if you are concerned, ask the MOCRA safety officer to inspect the boat
and 'sign it off' at start of season
this is not a 100% guarentee, but it is as good as it gets.
 
To a large extent in the UK very few races inspect boats pre or post
race, relying on self certification and honesty. Like driving the car
without insurance, you may get away with it. My personal experience with
safety inspections, RB&I; OSTAR;RdR, Fastent etc is that they are human
and are open to reasonable discussion over intreperation of regs eg
hatchways.
 
a prime example of reasonable action occured in 1998 when the ORMA fleet
came over for the fastnet:
I was called into the race office by Alan Green (RORC) and asked (as
were a number of others) to comment on the ORMA position of not carrying
a storm trysail as the rotating wing mast was 'the trysail'
I and others agreed with the ORMA position - i like others had sailed
multis in extreme conditions successfuly under wing mast alone - the
ORMA's raced and subsequently the rule was modified  - see reg 4.16.4
(d)

it was not too awkward with the Formula 28 to bring her to Cat 3 and we
carry quite a bit of stuff well beyond this ie survival suits,
waterproof vhf, epribs etc
To me the bigger irritation is the MOCRA rating rule of having to have
1.5m headroom and 3 berths ......
 
Ross
 
ps always remember our 'worse scenario' is capsize - a monhull's is
sinking. i know which situation i would want to be in
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