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Technical Articles
This Article Last Updated: Feb 14th, 2014 - 17:49:30
Star Class Members:
All Star Class members have the yearly opportunity to present new rules, explain their importance and vote them into our rulebook.
The year 2013 was special as a number of initiatives came from the Long Range Planning Committee who presented ideas that would lower the cost of Star sailing.
One of their areas of interest was in improving Star jibs that they believed had a short competitive life.
Three ideas were presented, put to membership vote and accepted. Members wanted the sailcloth to be heavier, batten pockets to be longer and reinforcing in the sail corners to be less restricted.
The intent of the new 12.1 rule is to increase the minimum sailcloth weight used to manufacture jibs from 3.7 ounces per sailmaker yard to 4.4 ounces per sailmaker yard prior to resin finishing. It is the phrase “prior to resin finishing” that has caused a problem. While all sailcloth manufacturers offer material that meet or exceed the new defined minimum, there is no method of measuring the cloth in a finished jib to validity its legality.
The Technical Advisory Board has reviewed the wording of the new rule and has made the recommendation that the first sentence of the new version of 12.1 be suspended until clearer language can be passed by the membership. By suspending this part of rule 12.1, the TAB wishes to make clear that the new rules for jib batten pocket length and corner reinforcing remain. Longer lasting jibs will be available to Star Class members with these two initiatives in place even with the original cloth weight.
It is hoped that a new resolution be presented for voting that contains simpler and clearer language regulating the minimum cloth weight for Star jibs. The yearly cycle for new resolutions is soon upon us with voting at the July 2014 World Championship in Malcesine Italy leading to enforcement in January 2015.
Brian Cramer
Chairman TAB
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