ActionSportsWA said..
Hey Peeps,
As much as I hate to see the retarding of the limits of this sport, it is probably for the best.
Every form of elite formula class racing becomes almost extinct due to cost and the technical nature requiring upgrades every year. I'm not sure about the safety side of things with foils to warrant a ban, and they are hardly a new part of the sport. Our sport was actually born from the days of foil kites.
I'd rather see the sport stick with LEI's as the world race class as they are more accessible, have greater second hand appeal to the average punter and will allow the race class to prosper well into the future. There is strength in solid classes, if people are dropping out already due to cost and the inability to access the latest foils, then the beginning of the end has begun already, just as it is gaining traction.
I would like to see production class LEI racing as the main discipline with foils (both board and kite) having an unlimited class as separate to the world tour but not having the same weight as the main class.
Just thoughts. Pushing the top elite end will end the racing scene in just a few years. Look at other forms of foil racing, it is all made up of clubs of two or three boats.
Any sailor will tell you that only the one design classes are strong. Some of the strongest classes in the world are not necessarily the fastest. Look at 470's, 49'ers, Finns, Lasers etc. These are all Olympic classes and are strong the world over. Kiting is closest to Foil moths which are almost extinct.
Windsurfing was MASSIVE with one design racing. Once they went elite and more exciting, it rung the death knell for the class. For the best possible long term outcome in our young sport, we should steer clear from the foil side of it and promote an affordable, accessible and even one design class which would grow to massive numbers and be a strong contender for Olympic longevity.
DM
Action not entirely sure where your getting your stats but they are a little wrong, The Moth worlds in Mornington VIC in january have
145 entries. Thats hardly EXTINCT.
all of the americas cup teams will be represented with arguably the best line up of sailors ever in a single fleet.
IMO
agree need to somewhat limit but not yet, when we lock into olympics then lock it in, until then lets go wild and see what we can push to.
one design sailing is the go i totally agree where lasers are probably the only cheap form of sailing i competed in 470 olympic sailing for 7 years and hardly cheap, sails lasted us 3 regattas, boats last a year maybe 2, needed 2 boats 1 to train and 1 to race, shipping trailer car hire etc yearly bill was around 60-80k.
49ers, finn, cats the same. although the laser and 49er are the only one design class, 470, and finn you bring your own boat, sails masts which you can help design and build to your specs. similar to a box rule.
What most don't seem to recognise it that a full setup of kite gear each year is a much cheaper option to race at a level of racing like this. so 5 kites, 2x fins and a board yearly is what 15k? yes thats a lot to joe average that its a hobby not a sport but take someone in sailing, a melges 24 costs 50k second hand, moth 22k new, kite racing really is a cheap form of sailing, and resale isn't that bad, boards and fins maybe yeah ;)
I think opposite for our class, lets keep it extreme and that alone will keep people interested, how wicked was the foiling AC for example, how much interest does it generate when people see race boards or foiling boars killing it around a bay. limiting our sport now will turn us into v8 super cars, lets be F1's
