Three new interpretations issued 2002/08/11

Chief measurer Todd Blumel has issued three new intepretations of the class rules:

31. Only hulls constructed after January 1, 2002 are required to bear an ISAF class plaque.

Todd's comment:  Rule B.2.2 states that "all hulls shall bear the ISAF class plaque."  In fact, this requirement only applies to hulls constructed after the class received ISAF recognition.

32. No electronic device which could be used to increase boat speed or gain a tactical advantage shall be attached to a boat or carried by a crew member, other than (a) time keeping devices, and (b) compasses as allowed by rule C.2.2.g, provided these cannot calculate speed or location information for use while racing.

Todd's comment:  This interpretation is a pre-emptive one. New watches are coming on to the marked, such as one made by Suunto, which contain very sophisticated GPS/computer systems. They can tell you how far away from the start line you are, when to tack on the lay lines, your current speed, shortest angle to the next mark and it figures out what kind of current there is and incorporates that into the whole equation. When you're done sailing you can download all the information into a PC and do a complete analysis of your days racing. You can even download the information from multiple boats and do a complete comparison between each boat. Being an equipment junky I think this is one neat piece of equipment, but I think it's violates rule C.2.2.g and A.1.2.  The interpretation addresses this.

33. Movable shroud track stops are not required.

Todd's comment: After hearing comments that the shroud stops snag various rope and lines, and are often not used, I thought an interpretation was in order. This interpretation will let anyone remove them if they want to.