GREAT IDEA for small headsails non overlapping would also increase
visability to prevent blindside centerpunching. SDK
:: My recollection is that originally there was no National
:: Class crew weight limit, and some boats were sailing
:: with 1100 pounds. After our first year in Detroit when a
:: boatload of heavyweights ran away with the season
:: championship, our fleet adopted a 750 pound limit.
:: Later, with Carl Schumacher's support the National Class
:: adopted the 880 pound limit which is the same as the J24
:: Class weight limit. I don't believe it's accurate to say
:: that Carl designed the boat for a 1000 pound crew
:: weight. His intent was to design a light boat that could
:: be powered with small sails and sailed with a four or
:: five person crew including women and children.
::
:: In my opinion, a better way to go would be to drop the
:: 150 % genoa and allow instead two non-overlapping
:: headsails--One small #3 for heavy air and another more
:: powerful, but non-overlapping jib for light air. This
:: would make the boat much more fun to sail. There's
:: nothing I enjoy less about the boat than sailing it
:: above 12 knots with the #1. Nearly all of the newer,
:: popular classes and designs have fractional rigs and
:: non-overlapping jibs.
::
:: :: I will weight in here for a bit (pun intended). I am in
:: :: favor of a change in crew weight limit up to 1000 lbs.
:: :: as that was the original crew weight Carl designed the
:: :: boat to carry. Not being a mathematician I will not
:: :: attempt to argue numbers except to say that the
:: :: difference of 100 lbs. that Mike speaks of does not seem
:: :: to me to be such an additional stress on the boat, but a
:: :: lot less stress on the skipper to put a crew together
:: :: consistently. I am still having a very difficult time
:: :: picking up the diehard logic of the crew weight needing
:: :: to be 880 lbs. I have never seen nor heard any logic for
:: :: that particular number. It seems to me that Mike's
:: :: number of 980 lbs. is at best reasonable and at least
:: :: based upon some use of arithmetic. I second Mike's
:: :: motion to change the crew weight to 980 lbs.
:: ::
:: :: Does this motion have any standing, anyway. If so, let's
:: :: vote on it.
