I have been watching this debate with interest. What happened to the principle of a Blokart that they were "one off design". Same thing happened in dingy racing as mods came into the act, if you could afford the changes you went with it, if not you were left behind. Simple solution is to sanction the use of 5.5's for anyone, BUT have seperate races. Now it becomes "weight for weight"; "sail for sail" and down to skipper ability. Tee Bee

Ross Vickers <...> said:
I have been quite up until this point on the 5.5m issue, watching
intently on the dicussion.

Its actually quite ammusing watching two themes develop

Theme 1 – Allow the 5.5m sails as part of the kit as per the rules.
(note these are the rules that "we" the blokarting community entrusted
the IBRA to develop)

The rule is very clear as written in that it does allow them once they
have been available for 3 months (which I believe was the start of Feb
08) .

The Auckland club took the sensible approach and since their post xmas
season had started decided to postpone the introduction until their next
season

Theme 2 – Ban them or if we are forced to have them can they be only for
the super heavy weights. Interestingly the people that have suggested
this so far have been the super heavies (whats the story with that, do
they think they are superior so only they can use them!)

These people get even more interesting as they try to bring in all sorts
of excuses in order to try to ban them.

Using Richards first analogy refering to Sean Fidler using a 5.5m up to
15knots…. "if he wins what will you all say then!" well the answer
would surely be "good on him" he managed to develop the use of the sail
better than any one else. And thats a bad thing?

Then they goe on to cost. At then end of the day the cost is not that
bad compared to other sports even at $8000. Find another sport that can
hit 60km/hr for under $8k. Besides this sport has gone on for a few
years now (6 years ?) and this has been the only major change. We still
see karts of 4 or 5 years winning, we still see sails of 4 years
winning. We still see sailors who have bought 2nd hand karts winning
races and we still see people spending not much and going out and having
FUN. Surely $1500 is not too bad for the small percentage that actually
want to be able to sail and race properly in under 12 knots

With this new sail it does virtually guarantee that we can sail every
weekend, just like our (also wind dependent) friends on the water.

Subsidising 5.5m.. well that is something that could be looked at, but
then again, if you subsidize it via membership fees, then the end user
is paying anyway!

At the end of the day, I personally dont see the fun is just hooning
around… Racing gives it the fun factor (for me any way). This sail
allows us to race in lighter breeze. Other say they dont like to race in
under 8 knots, as it doesnt bring skill into it.. well then why are the
same people in front 80% of the time? I would be up for a rule like if
the leader is scuffing it gets called off and sail in all winds. Think
of it in the reverse of normal is it fair on them if they are good
enough to sail the course and show that they really are the best. I say
no bottom limit for a race (or maybe 4 knots), just sail and stop
bitching when the people in front can sail, but you cant.

At the end of the day, they are legal for the worlds as grant pointed
out. If a club was to ban them locally that fine. And Dons idea of bring
out the armory for the worlds is fine too. But if the club did ban them,
and we went to the worlds and got our butts kick cause we didnt know
that the 5.5m was quicker in 12 to 15knots then we would look pretty
dumb, considering that they were developed in our back yard with our
input.

Well that was more than 2cents worth, but that TAX for you… looks like
5.5m opinions are going to hit $2 soon.

Ross

Please don't take offense to my rant… it was just that… a rant!

Richard Harrison <...> said:

Hi All,

My 2 cents.

There are two points which I would like to make.

These are new sails and the full potential of these sails has not been
realised yet. For example, a middleweight is already running a 5.5m up
to
15 knots of wind in America before changing to a 4m. This may seem
wrong to
you, but come the worlds he will most likely be using it and if he wins
the
class what are you going to say then! Everyone may need to get 5.5
meter
sail.

Secondly the cost of being competitive even locally has potentially just
risen $1200 – $1400 dollars which maybe fine for some of us out there
but
others are going to drop out of the sport due to the high cost. The BBC
has
already lost members to the increasing costs of competing and losing
more
members over 5.5m sails is not what I want. If you wanted to start
blokart
sailing competitively and brought a new kart you would be looking at a
cost
of $8000+ to set up. This is far to high in my opinion for a new sport
that
relies on the wind, which means you are not guaranteed to sail on any
given
weekend. Spare time is becoming more precious to all of us.

So a solution I can see to keep the sport of blokart strong in NZ clubs:

If you actually look at your club and say how many members from your
club
would go to the next world champs if they were held in Europe. Even the
BBC
with a strong travelling group of members may get 7 going in reality,
so
they can race at those events under the international equipment rules.
I
would suggest we redefine the performance equipment rules ideally for
NZ
within the NZBAI but at least at club level to excluded 5.5 meter sails
and
potential other performance equipment to make the competitive side of
the
sport a reasonable price to get into, keeping our clubs strong and
everyone
with a fair chance of winning at a reasonable cost at a local level and
maybe even the nationals.

So from the BBC point of view the question to be discussed at the next
committee meeting is a complete ban on 5.5's or ban for all, other than
supers and offer a financing deal to the supers to make sure all of our
supers have a 5.5 meter sail.

Something to think about

Richard