[MHml] ISAF Multihull Offshore Regs

[Peter Lillywhite]

>from Peter's description of his boat - i would expect it to be Ok as
>regarding door/sheerline

That's good, so why cannot the regs include a section that would cover
doors so that race officers knew that this arrangement was acceptable.
 
>as for head sail - the rules are there for good reason - no reefing in
>heavy weather head sail - simple and sensible, as reefing systems can
fail >and then you have too much sail area....
>Personally I can't see the problem with that

I have no argument with your logic Ross; if my reefing system fails I
can set my storm jib, reef the main accordingly and sail on in a boat
that is still balanced and to windward. It would be slow but that is not
directly a safety issue. Our agreed position regarding reefing heavy
weather sails is not universally held however. The ORMA 60 Race Regs
allow just this ' For offshore races, a reefed heavy weather jib
may constitute a storm jib provided it has the required dimensions.'


 
>as for the rule being a mess 
>- ok they are 'a mess' if your boat does not comply with them, But that
>does not make them bad rules, just that you need to sort the boat to
meet >them. 
 

Sorry Ross I can't agree, perhaps my choice of phrase could have been
better but I have been trying to sort this out with MOCRA for two months
and made no progress. The ISAF Regs do not support multis with doors, 3
stay rigs with roller reefing or proas. This is a sizable portion of the
multihull market (I exclude proas from that last comment). There are
other oddities such as not accepting portable generators, I am aware
that the use and storage can be hazardous but can be successfully
overcome. I know one owner who has hidden his genny from race inspectors
on at least two RBR and an AZAB. 


>As for having trust in one persons views - what does that prove? other
than >you like Mr or MIss X??
>In research terms that is not worth the paper its written on. 
 
>I can always find one case study to 'prove' what i want to show. = zero
>evidence
>I can get together a series of selected case studies (excluding all
those >that didn't work) = some evidence but very biased 
>I can look retrospectivly at a large series of cases (not excluding
those >that did or did not work)
>= evidence is getting there, but potential bias 
>Ideally I carry out a prospective randomised control trial (RCT) =
highest >form of evidence but  kinda difficult with boats and lifes. 
 
>a close second to a RCT is what is known as a Delphi study. This is the
>consensous opinion of a number of experts and practioners. This
essencially >the method ISAF/ORC use to write the saftey regs and
bearing in mind it has >to apply to such a wide community, is probably
the best evidence based >method avaiable.
 

My reference to Erik was as a designer. In the Azuli he has produced a
cat that has a long racing history in France, crossed the Atlantic many
times and to my knowledge one at least has sailed from France to
Australia. I am aware that there is a large body of opinion amassed over
time but when an Azuli cannot be raced from Fowey to Plymouth, all of 22
miles because of these regs I suggest that there is something wrong with
the regs not the boat. I just wonder within the ISAF/ORC experts and
practioners how many had offshore experience in multis and in particular
a typical cruising cat type of boat?


>so i don't agree the regs are 'a mess'. They are there to try and
ensure >our safety, now we might not agree with them, but if you want to
play, you >have to comply. As yet no one is (thankfully) forcing us to
race
 
Once again I can't agree. I could continue to hide my generator, carry a
couple of long wash boards that satisfy the regs and would require me to
remove my oilskins and stop a more heavily built crew from entering the
boat and carry a smaller headsail that I know I couldn't successfully
hoist over my fully rolled jib in over 25 knots of wind but that doesn't
feel right in an honour sport. Regrettably it seems that all the time I
own an Azuli and am unwilling to pay lip service to the rules I will be
banned. Is it a coincidence that a trimaran would be a much better
choice with its monohull type cockpit and companionway and provision to
attach an inner forestay to a secure base and that the bulk of MOCRA
offshore race boats are trimarans?

Cheers Peter. 
 

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