The Technical Committee Northeast Harbor IOD Fleet Attn: Mr. Sandro Vitelli RE: Carbon Fiber Spars for NEH IOD Fleet. Dear Sandro, We are in receipt of your Committee’s response of Feb. 2nd 2009 to our letter of late January with respect to Carbon Fiber spars. While
we are appreciative of the fact that your C/F spar design may not
require jumpers as an integral requirement to the performance of the C/F
spar design recommended by Hall Spars, we believe we should set out
below the facts regarding the production of yet another third rig
configuration for IOD’s which you and your Technical Committee are
pursuing on behalf of your NEH Fleet. We are encouraged by the statement in your letter
that the Hall designed C/F spar “will be adaptable to all fleets”. We
presume this will allow the installation of Jumpers on either a single
spreader rig or a two spreader rig. Please confirm. We
seek not to dissuade you from your course of action with respect to
the production of C/F spars for your Fleet, but to advise the process
which has allowed your Technical Committee to arrive at the position
with Hall Spars where you will receive a demonstration spar this spring
for evaluation by your Fleet in June and through the summer. We
also state the facts regarding the IOD / WCA Class Rules regarding the
adoption of the new proposed C/F rig configuration by your NEH Fleet
which will produce a third rig configuration for IOD’s.
POINTS 1) through 8) below are those raised in discussion in our WCA Executive Teleconference on 12th Feb. 2009 and attempt to set this process of rig and material discussions in their historic perspective. We ask that you consider these as you move forward. 1) In late April 2006 at Bermuda Race Week, an evening meeting was held at the Daylesford Theatre chaired by Herb Motley. In
outlining where the IOD / WCA stood on standardizing rig designs HM
asked the assembled fleets representatives to consider the virtues of
accepting a standard rig for all our associated WCA / IOD fleets. He
reviewed the history of the development of the two divergent aluminum
rig configurations, the L I S / Bermuda/ Europe single spreader 7/8 rig
design and the original Aas two spreader 3/4 rig design in wood and
aluminum in predominant use in USA fleets. HM pointed out that in San
Francisco in 1999 at the IOD / WCA Annual meeting that it was agreed
the standard IOD rig would be the aluminum Aas two spreader 3/4 rig and
any new fleet would sail with this rig. The standard Class approved rig
is the Aas traditional two spreader with jumpers 3/4 rig configuration
in wood or aluminum. The
decision to NOT allow new fleets to use any other rig configuration
other than the traditional Aas design did not survive the re -editing of
the Class Rules and was later defeated in connection with the
establishment of the Chester NS Fleet But then the single spreader aluminum 7/8th rig has not yet been approved by the IOD / WCA either, although it is in common use in L I S , Bermuda and Europe. Neither
the traditional two spreader nor the single spreader enthusiasts at
this meeting were about to give up their positions for a rig change, so
both rigs are comfortably in use where they are established. A
broad discussion then ensued with there being no definitive decisions
made with the exception of the consensus that either of the two standard
rig configurations currently in use should form the models from which a
Carbon Fiber rig solution should be designed.
NEH reported they were pursuing the initiative of replacing their wood
spars with C/F material, but that this initiative had not been adopted
by their Fleet as a solution for their wood spar replacement issues. 2)
At the AGM of the WCA in L I S in Sept. 2006, the World Class did not
object to the initiative of the IOD / WCA or the NEH Fleet
investigating the use of Carbon Fiber as a
material to replace Wood / Aluminum in IOD spars. As NEH were thinking
of replacing all their wood spars with new rigs their interest in
adopting Carbon Fiber was seen as a possible way
forward should aluminum spars become unavailable. Design
considerations for new C/F spars were discussed and referred as being
consistent with existing IOD aluminum spar configurations, weight and
rig design. This meeting chaired by Charlie Van Voorhis, called to fill
time due to a postponement in racing, was cut short by a decision of
the Race Committee to sail the last race to conclude the L I S World
Championships 2006. . 3)
At the AGM of the WCA in Nantucket in Sept. 2007 Sandro Vitelli was in
attendance to report on the NEH Fleets’ position regarding C/F spars
which initiative was proceeding. At lunch after the AGM Herb Motley,
Kin Yellott and Jordy Walker sat with Sandro and
spoke with him about producing a generic C/F spar which could be rigged
with either the traditional two spreader 3/4 rig w/ jumpers or the
newer single spreader 7/8 rig w/ jumpers. With this generic C/F section
and mast “pole”, either rig configuration could be assembled to suit
any fleet, and as the availability of aluminum sections became scarce,
the Class would have the C/F sections as replacements. It was noted
that as C/F was lighter than aluminum, corrector weights would be
required to make the C/F spars equate to the weight of the aluminum
spars. 4)
When it was discovered in November 2007 that Hall Spars (successor to
Kenyon) would no longer manufacture the aluminum traditional rig
sections used in the traditional two spreader w/ jumpers 3/4 rig
configurations, the WCA made enquiries concerning C/ F spars via a few
C/F spar manufacturers. The costs for the design and fabrication of the
first C/F spar were exhorbitant and considered beyond the WCA’s
financial capabilities without approval of such expenditure at an AGM. Then
another manufacturer of aluminum spars to replace Hall / Kenyon was
found. Forespar were engaged in early 2008 to fabricate a die to
extrude aluminum spars and supplied the Nantucket Fleet with a dozen
aluminum spars to specifications for their traditional two spreader
3/4 rig w/ jumpers. The WCA then deferred the initiative of investigating C/F as a material for IOD rigs, and informed the NEH fleet of this fact. 5)
In none of these meetings or discussions has it been stated that there
was consent to pursue a rig configuration that was other than that of
the two rig configurations currently in use as “standard” within all of our IOD Fleets worldwide. 6) If a third rig configuration is produced it will require the approval first of the
Northeast Harbor IOD Fleet, and subsequently the IOD World Class
Association before that fleet using this third rig configuration will be
recognized as an IOD fleet. 7) Therefore, the NEH Fleet will have to apply to the WCA to have their C/F rig configuration approvedin order to allow
these boats to be recognized as IOD’s. This issue can only be
resolved with the subject discussed and approved at an IOD / WCA AGM.
This process should be commenced this June in Sweden. 8) It
was also noted that if the NEH Fleet went ahead with the decision to
replace their wood spars with their new design C/F single spreader spar
(without jumpers) without the approval of the WCA , they could then NOT
be recognized as a fleet of the International One Design Class / World
Class Association. Until the NEH Fleet C/F spars were allowed as an
approved IOD rig configuration by the IOD / WCA, and a rule created to
allow their use in their boats as IOD’s, these boats of the NEH Fleet
would not be recognized as IOD’s. This Class rule change when created
is then filed with ISAF, where Class rule changes are technically
required to be filed. Sandro , Note:
As an example of this is the fact in point 8) above please understand
that our IOD Class / WCA has been deficient in recognizing and allowing
the aluminum single spreader 7/8th
rig configuration w/ jumpers although it has had wide use in L I S ,
Bermuda and Europe for over 35 years. We intend to correct this fact
at our AGM in Sweden this coming June. We
are just now trying to get our house in order on this issue, and
presuming we shall get the necessary WCA support to recognize and allow
the use of the aluminum single spreader rig for IOD’s , we shall then be
filing this rule change with ISAF. Finally just a few thoughts ! If your NEH C/F spar had “jumpers’
we would not have a third rig configuration to consider !.... and your
spars would have the adjustment required to change mainsail shape as
required when sails get older and distorted from use, particularly
where some boats are more active than others. “Jumpers”will allow mainsails greater longevity and require replacement less frequently if “jumper” adjustments are employed to allow a sailor the options of different mast bend characteristics to keep sails competitive as they get older. We
also understand that the cost of “jumpers” for an additional $1000.00
is perhaps not worth the expense, unless you consider the guy who has
“won” two years in a row but now all the boats which have not sailed
much in the last two years are consistently beating him. He wants a new
main and wants all the other fleet members to purchase new mains too
! How much aggravation and perhaps money is that going to cost ?
With “jumpers” the NEH Fleet should get 5 - 6 years out of their
mainsails. And
finally, the cost of $1000.00 per mast for “jumpers” is very high. I
would assume this cost is for the prototype mast to be fitted with
“jumpers”. The cost of “jumpers” for multiple rigs will surely be less
than $1000.00 per mast. Sincerely B. W. “Jordy” Walker President IOD / WCA |
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2009 February 27 WCA to NEH |