Rule changes

[International Laser Class Association <ilca (at) EASYNET.CO.UK>]

Follows is copy of response from Tim Coventry (Managing Director of the
European Laser builder) to Nick Livingstone's posting ;

From Tim Coventry
Director, Performance Sailcraft Ltd
Founding European President, ILCA
Former President and Chief Measurer, ILCA
Current ILCA Advisory Council Member

1.	Nick condemns all the changes proposed but has tried none of them.  At
least the World Council has seen and tried and tested what they  are
proposing.

2.	Like it or not, Nick is a product of past times and part of a
diminishing group within Laser Class activities. If the Class is to survive
the next 30 years is has to replace and keep the 'Nicks’ of the future. The
Laser is not competing with other classes (yet)  - it is competing with
other activities. We have to attract and keep more sailors to the sport of
sailing.  In the beginnings of Laser all the boats were bog standard and
the standard was not particularly high. Accordingly, it was not difficult
for everyone to have their turn in  the front and, more significantly, the
distance between the front and back was relatively small.  This motivated
groups and kept them active and involved, and it was fun.  Now, we have
multi-purchase systems that are a nightmare for the newcomer to learn; the
boat is complicated and takes time to rig and the difference between the
front and back of the fleet is huge.  People who race are competitors and
need to feel that they can win or, at least, do better.  If the barriers to
success and progression are too high and too difficult then there are other
things to do with one’s leisure time.

3.	The argument that keeping it difficult is pure arrant nonsense; it just
preserves elitism. We need the top sailors to think about how to get more
people in and to the top - not setting themselves against changes that
might make the route to the top easier.

4.	The changes proposed do more than tidy up and improve the efficiency and
user friendliness of the existing changes approved in dribs and drabs over
the years. If you take a step back from the current systems of knots and
thimbles, it is difficult to justify why a simple block cannot he substituted.

5.	The issue of the new systems for the Radial is even more relevant. The
Laser is physically demanding for young people. The Laser is the boat that
many young people aspire to sail but in reality it is beyond them. Those
that persevere (like Ben, who I well remember struggling hard when he first
started with the Laser) are in the minority. Most decide that it is just
too difficult and turn to other boats or drop out of sailing.

The other factor here is that many graduating Optimist sailors expect to
move into the Radial to progress.
In many cases, they regress and the gap to the front of the fleet is big.
Making the controls manageable to depower the rig with limited  strength
will help build confidence and improve progression. The carbon top mast
will bridge the gap even better but without the new controls, is only a
partial solution.

6.	Nick is wrong about needing a new boom.  All the items can easily be
retrofitted to existing equipment.

7.	Nick may find that the Laser fits him perfectly. Good for Nick!  As long
as we can find lots more Nicks then the future is secure. We currently have
a situation where the weight/size type for the Laser sailor is defined
around a very close band.  It didn't start that way and it wasn't that way
whilst the Class enjoyed its biggest growth and development.  It's only
become that way as the Class gets smaller!  The changes will at the least
allow those smaller  than the 'ideal' to feel that they can have their
chance. Anything that we can do to broaden the perception of the user group
specification has to be good and this is the whole thrust of the proposals
... get people sailing Lasers.

8.	I do hope that, as Nick suggests, the Class considers the youngsters
that are to follow, and the future of the Class. That is certainly what the
World Council and the builders have done. If we do nothing, it will make
the Nicks of the Class secure with their 'special skills and techniques'
for a little longer and keep them at the top but it will do nothing to win
over the majority of youngsters that we all need to attract to sailing and
keep sailing to secure the future of the Class.  The choice is with the Class

International Laser Class Association
Email: ilca@easynet.co.uk
Web site: http://www.laserinternational.org

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