1995-2005, Now What? (JohnB)
Harold MacMillan, when asked what was difficult about being in government replied "Events dear boy, events." We are now caught up by 'events'; what are we going to do about Risto Lehtinen's proposals for an International class?
One has to say that in the natural order of the world, things don't stay the same for long. Change and developments happen all around us, all the time and to some extent these changes represent the vitality of organisations. One cannot, indeed should not, try to hold back these tides of change or we end up stultified, moribund, like Real Tennis. Who plays it?
In 1990, when sailing canoes were beginning to re-emerge, most people couldn't accept that canoes could be sailed, but we have persevered. I suppose the next question would be: do we opt for the ACA rig or the 5 Sq.Metre rig? Well, we dumped the ACA rig some ten years back so I think it has to be the 5 Sq.M rig. I have been told that "we will all be falling in" if we do this. "So reef" I replied. "But they won't". I really can't believe this, isn't this what learning to do something is all about? You don't have to approach every comer flat out; you can lift your foot off the accelerator. Surely it is not beyond our comprehension to reef a sail.
There have been suggestions that we promote an alternative class. I cannot believe that it is reasonable to expect the ACA and the Finns to change to suite us. Risto Lehtinen's proposals already have the blessing of the ACA, the FCU and the ICF so unless we are to have a bad attack of 'we British' the choice seems to be 'take it or leave it'. It would be a forlorn prospect if the OCSG were to exclude itself from International competition.
Given that we do accept then we must embrace it whole-heartedly and promote and race the class. Being an 'International class' would surely help to raise the status of canoe sailing and would attract some new and younger members. We badly need a more demanding boat for this group of people. There are plenty of technical objections to Risto's proposal and these will have to be resolved in due course but for the moment it is enough that we accept.
The financial implications have also been raised as an objection, particularly the proposal that each host country provides half a dozen boats for visitors. It would indeed be a lot of money but we are not being expected to provide it next week! We have done this before and in due course there are sources of money that can be approached. Taking part in International competition or a World Championship is a great asset when it comes to loosening purse strings. I believe that simply by being an International class will produce help.
The OCSG membership must consider these developments seriously, not simply from your own point of view but for the benefit of the OCSG as a whole. I write these lines with some diffidence as I am no longer an active sailor but I have no doubt that if the OCSG is to survive it has to go on developing. Presenting new challenges for new sailors. We are in the twenty-first century and our fleet has to move forward, not only meeting challenges but also creating them.
Volker Bernardi, director of the ICF, feels that open canoe sailing could become really International. The technical director of the ICF Csaba Szanto is also very interested. The Hungarian and Slovakian federations are interested. It's all to play for if we have the nerve to accept the challenge.
International Open Canoe Racing (SimonF)
Having been out of active participation in OCSG for the past few years, I'm not sure I'm the right person to comment. However, that's never stopped me before...
It seems to me self-evident that if we are going to encourage open canoe racing internationally, we need a common class in which to do it. Ideally it should be a class that encompasses as many as possible of the diverse boats we have around Europe - which means NOT a monotype (one-design) hull. I drew up and published a long time ago a comparison between the C Class and OCSG, and proposed a possible compromise. I'm not going to propose it again in opposition to Risto, but the table may be useful (as I'm pressed for space, it will appear in a later issue - Ed.).
I conclude from the table that the OCSG rule encompasses C Class hulls but not rigs and that the C Class rule encompasses OCSG rigs, but not hulls. Therefore with some minor adaptations to the C Class rule to allow freer hull design (especially asymmetry - very few of the purpose built OCSG hulls are symmetrical end-end), we have a workable International rule. There will need to be some committee work to be done for sure - we need to know for example how the C Class sail measurement rates non-triangular sails - spritsails, batwings etc - for example, but it's nothing to get het up about.
I don't see that the OCSG (or BCU) has anything to gain by opposing the spirit of Risto's proposal, or by putting up the OCSG rule as an alternative. It will just look like spoiling. And given that there will be an International rule, OCSG is going to have to accommodate boats built to it because undoubtedly (some) OCSG members will build boats to it. OK, OCSG may require them to put in a reef to bring their sail area down to 44 sq ft when racing. But that's all they will need to do, and
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