Report from Chris Parkinson, President, Australian Tasar
Council, to the 2001 World Council meeting.
Tasars in Australia are in a healthy position with approximately
250 members of the Australian Tasar Council. The States with the
largest membership are New South Wales and Victoria.
Demand for new boats has been good, with Bethwaite Designs selling
more boats in the past 18 months than they have in the previous
five years. Second hand boats have also been in great demand, with
good quality boats selling as soon as they come on the
market.
Australia is looking forward to staging the Tasar Worlds in 2005.
Three States are showing interest in holding them, these being the
Northern Territory, Western Australia and New South Wales. The
venue will be decided on at the next meeting of the ATC to be held
at Port Lincoln during the Australian Championships in January
2002.
Issues
Hull weight
While all State Associations were opposed to the proposed
reduction, there is still keen interest in hull weights, and they
are being continually monitored at major events such as State and
National Championships. At recent championships the average hull
weight of competing boats has been below 68 kg. Should this trend
continue, I am sure that the States would be more inclined to
consider a progressive reduction in hull weight.
Carrying ballast for underweight crews
Over the years changes in the level of ballast carried to
compensate for underweight crews has been reduced to a level that I
consider to be approximately right. To reduce crew weight further
would be a retrograde step for the class. The class has developed a
market niche in that it is ideal for two adults. To reduce the crew
weight level further would most probably lose these sailors.
Similar has been noted in other classes in Australia, such as the
NSI4. The need to address the issue of crew weight is what
originally led to the development of the Tasar class.
Competent skippers will perform well and not be disadvantaged in
stronger wind strengths regardless of crew weight. However, in
lighter winds (below 12 knots) crews with a combined weight below
"standard" weight will definitely be advantaged.
It is permissible for the additional weight rule to be waived at a
local level if the District so desires; however, when we all come
together at an International Regatta, then Class rules will
prevail.
Regatta management - standardisation of age categories
For many years the age categories within Australia have
included:
- a combined age of 80 years for Masters, and
- a combined age of 100 years for Grand Masters
However, at the current Championships at Whitstable, the NOR
advised that the Masters age category be 85 years. This could
possibly mean that the crew who won the Masters in Japan would be
ineligible to defend his title. This is totally unacceptable.
Therefore it is felt that these age categories should be set in
concrete by an addition to the Class Rules or some other means, to
ensure that the categories remain consistent at all
Championships.
Advertising
Under the new ISAF rules classes are required to set their
advertising category for sponsorship of individual boats. The ISAF
default for International classes is category A (no advertising).
Sponsor money to meet the costs of attendance at Championships is
of great assistance to the Class. But we must be able to offer
sponsors something for their money, i.e. advertising space on hulls
and/or sails. The Australian State Tasar Associations would most
probably support a change to the Class Rules to become Category C,
and so allow individual sponsorship. The current Australian
Yachting Federation position on advertising is that all Australian
classes are by default Category C, and classes must apply to become
Category A (with no advertising). When the Tasar becomes an
International Class in late 2001, it will be bound by the ISAF
default rather than the AYF one. The World Tasar Association should
address the question of advertising categories and apply for
Category C as soon as possible.
Chris Parkinson, August 21, 2001