ISAF clueless about the future of our sport

The mixed multihull proposal  for the 2016 Olympics sucks (it is a non existent category). You go either for multihull girls and multihull boys or for multihull open.

The high perfomance skiff is already in as are the laser boy and girl.

If the ISAF realizes that the future of sailing is high performance sailing; skiffs, multihulls, windsurfing and kiteboarding should be in. Keelboats and slow dinghies (including the Laser) should be out.

The problem is that ISAF lacks a vision about the future of our sport and has made itself too dependent on the IOC. Too much money  is involved and ISAF is already on her back and will do anything to please the IOC.

The IOC wants to turn sailing  in a spectatorsport with stadiums (really! not my fantasy or suggestion) to make more money both form spectators and TV stations.

The future of our sport is not in drawing big audiences but getting more youngster as active particpants. (AC teams do something with this!)

We should not sell us out to the IOC or TV bosses and should realize that even without the Olympics the sport can prosper. Most TV and media coverage is not in the small boat scene but in the Volvo Ocean, America's cup, Extreme 40 and other mediadriven events.

It is true that only small boats get media attention if they are Olympic, but even that coverage is marginal and sailing will always be a side event in the Olympics.

The sailing enthousiasts will still be able to follow their heroes on internet. When I grew up I knew all the names of the catsailors and they were neither on national TV nor in national newspapers.

For us multhull sailors the AC has more impact than the Olympics especially if the ACtopsailors use beachcats for training purposes as most AC teams do with the James Spitthill/Glenn Ashby combo from the last AC in mind.

Kitesurfers be careful what you wish for!

Fortunately we didn't need ISAF in creating the cat community neither do we need it to grow further.

We will cooperate where possible and go sailing where others will be more active in politics.

Happy sailing!

DNA delivery times reduced to two months now

We have send the third and last container to Australia. Which will result in a fleet of 17 DNA's in the AUS nationals.

As a result of completing these orders the delivery time for Europe has come down from 4 months to 2 months. We still produce 2 brand new DNA's per week.

Ordering now is having a boat in January.

Many European topcompetitors have ordered their DNA, we expect a new wave of orders after the Australian nationals from people outside the A-class. Sofar our main focus was to serve the A-class community with boats. Our next aim is to have that community grow by attracting new sailors to the class and to supply these sailors with ready to race DNA's.

Manuel Calavia on his new DNA

The pics are blurry but give a good impression.

Manolo: 'I was very fast also upwind and especially downwind. My speed downwind is incredible  The others couln't race against me'

On the pic Manolo uses his brand new DNA, a new fiberfoam mast which is softer foreaft than last years one and a Stevie Brewin sail which is cut for that mast.

Shitloads of power

is what you need on the DNA downwind. Both Chris and Stevie are showing us the way. They beat F18's around the course by matching the speed of these gennaker boats downwind, wich is quite remarkably.

You will only beat gennaker boats if you can survive the lulls. In the old days (last year....) we couldn't because when the wind decreased you woud loose the wild thing or had to steer up too much.

Both Stevie and Chris are using soft fore-aft mast which are sideways stiffer. This gives them the flexibility in shape they need to excell downwind. Not only by hiking out but als by trapezing in the wildthing.

Chris as the heavier of the two likes a relative full sail in the bottom, which even helps him upwind.

he prefers to speed up the DNA first and then go for height (upwind) or depth (downwind),

Stevie uses a wider head and slight flatter bottom which works for him.

Glenn  used a very full sail in Cesenatico too, which would have not worked over 10 knots, but he got away with it. With the new breed of masts you can have same amount of power but can still handle it upwind in the better breeze.

There will be quite some interesting developments in sail & rigdesign coming season.

I have a few predictions:

We will see some people go back to somewhat less ultra bigheads, while at the same time others will stay succesful with it.

The soft foreaft mast will be the new standard

We will see different sail& rig philosophies for light and heavy guys.

We will see more sails with a smaller foot on the DNA's.

We will go to straight foots (rectangular on the mast)

Alle developments will be aimed at getting more power from the sail and getting the center of effort up.