The sail weight limit is still in effect. Probably it is left over from all-dacron days (to prevent building very light sails that would need yearly replacing), but it has not been changed and should still be obeyed.

This weight requirement results in very strong laminate sails, as they can put a lot of carbon in to meet the weight. The local sailmakers all know how to build sails to the E27 class rules. It is true that they likely have to add materials specifically to meet the rule.

Modifying and/or removing the sail weight limit would require a vote at the class meeting.

A few rules have been changed recently and may not be updated in the class rules: dyform wire is allowed in rigging (even in 1x7 sizes) where 1x19 wire was required previously. However dyform is not manufactured anymore and hard to find. Spectra is allowed for lifelines as long as the sag rule is still obeyed. The remainder of the rules are generally accepted without discussion (except the crew weight limit), as a general methodology to keep costs under control and to keep the boats equal.

If you have any class rule or measurement questions, feel free to send them to me directly (not headed to HI this summer).

--brendan

:: Is this really a class rule?
::
:: I'm not sure I'm reading this correctly, as it looks
:: like it was promulgated by a sailmaker who didn't want
:: to upgrade their sail making equipment.
::
:: Class restriction on the minimum weight of the mainsail
:: to 16 LB:
::
:: “Total weight of the mainsail shall be no less than
:: sixteen pounds weighed dry and without battens. Cloth
:: concentrations used to bring the sail to minimum weight
:: shall be defined as excessively heavy sailmaker's
:: hardware. It is the intent of this rule to prohibit
:: excessively light mainsail cloth weights.”
::
:: Why don't we want excessively light mainsail cloth
:: weights? Perhaps we need to define "excessively light",
:: because, dollars-to-donuts, with advances in sail cloth,
:: I would bet any boat without a dacron main can't meet
:: the rule limitation.
::
:: There are other limitations too that seem a tad
:: outdated. Is the class going to be looking at these
:: anytime soon?
::
:: Sincerely,
::
:: Marcia Schnapp