International Canoe Sailing (JohnB)
In response to a request by the committee of the OCSG, JohnB has been in contact with a number of overseas canoe sailors with a view to establishing rules for international racing. He has made contacts in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Holland who have agreed to work out a common policy on this.
The intention of these negotiations is to produce a commonly agreed class for international sailing. We should consider carefully the full implications of an international class versus a European class. For the former, visits would be few and in small numbers and fairly expensive, whereas for the latter we could have more frequent visits and in greater numbers at a more moderate cost. Another major advantage of a European scheme would be that it allowed sailors to 'car top' their own boats to events. Sailing a strange boat at an international meeting is perhaps OK for a one design class but is not really a very satisfactory arrangement for our idiosyncratic sailing canoes.
To what extent do we need to accept the American Canoe Association (ACA) class limitations? I do not think that UK sailors would be prepared to accept the ACA rig (lateen - Ed.) as an International rig nor are they much in favour of a number of classes - Marilyn Vogel has told me that the ACA regrets their numerous classes as it dilutes the number of boats available at a meeting. As we are treading new ground perhaps we should consider writing our own class rules. What would be the advantage to canoe sailing if we were under the wing of the ICF? We are already represented at a European level via our own national canoe organisations.
Already we have the complication of the ICF measuring rule (allows free roach areas) in Finland and IYRU rules (measures total area) in the UK. I do not imagine that either the Finns (with 4 sq. m. of sail = 44.55 sq. ft. - Ed.) or the UK sailors will be very keen to change and proposed changes will need to be done over a few years. The UK has some 120 or so sailors. In the meantime I think the UK would happily accept the disadvantage in sail area (about 5%) for competition. A more difficult problem is that in the UK the canoe has always been seen as a development class where any type, number of sails is allowed, providing it remains within the specified area. Similarly with the canoe hull. The canoe body has long been regarded as the optimum for these rigs and no restriction is placed on the type of hull, consequentially there are a number of outrigger canoes.
Norway and Sweden have yet to decide upon class rules although I am aware of some twelve 4 sq. m. sails being in Norway; these were run on conventional plastic canoes and were sold by Eian Fritid of Drammen. Holland and Luxemburg are very few in number and are using 4 sq. m. rigs.
It is worth reminding everyone that these 'rules' apply to racing only.
Wet And Windy Windermere (EddieP)
Yes, the forecast was awful, but we did quite a bit better than expected, with a good trip out on the Saturday, and a race, yes a real race, on Sunday. The turnout was also very good, maybe we're all getting hardier!
I arrived on the Saturday morning, and I gather that half a dozen had been there on the Friday night, with three boats out on Friday itself. JohnS was sporting his 'still-in-development' outrigger, with a home-made Bruce foil, very impressive, although he had some 'development problems' by Sunday. We also welcomed new, or soon-to-become, members Pete and Clare, Pete and Julie from Penrith, and Alison and JohnH from Macclesfield. Pete and Julie were sporting a homebuilt cedar-strip canoe, with the only blue sail in the fleet.
The forecast said 'sunny periods and showers' for Saturday, and Sunday was due to have a severe depression, the remains of a tropical storm. In mid-morning, a large thunderstorm deposited even more water on the campsite, with hail, and very black clouds, not to mention the water, which created puddles large enough to float canoes on. For the rest of the weekend, glutinous mud stuck to everything, boats, gear, clothes! By midday Saturday, people were gathering on the water, for a planned trip down to the cafe at Fell Foot. The wind was difficult and frustrating, blowing alternatively from south-east and south-west, often when actually tacking! It was easy to stall a
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