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From: Dennis Surtees
Date: 20 Aug 1998
Time: 14:46:12
Remote Name: gatekeeper.canon.com
These are legitimate questions, Steve and would require a group answer. For me, personally, I don't care if you hang your entire body outside the boat if you want to risk your health or even your life. Bigger?, Younger? I don't really care. I don't think it will make that much difference. You are only one of five or six. To be more sensible for most people, however, I would suggest that the straps would prevent the knees from going more than midway beteen the inner edge of the deck and the gunwhale. This would allow the buttocks to tuck over the gunwhale without allowing full bore athletic style hiking. I know you will say that we have different body sizes and heights but I think that the above would bring everybody pretty close. The small differences would be, in my opinion, unimportant. AS I have said, for me this is comfort, safety and stability that is at issue not weight transfer. One very important advantage of sitting on the gunwhale is that the helsman can see the waves and look around without being obstructed by the crew. If none of you can get a ride on Abracadabra, I shall try to take a photograph of my sitting position and post it to you all if I can work out how to do it!! You know: "one picture is worth...etc"
I once proposed this idea to the Etchells class when I was racing an Etchells, to limit the "gentleman hiking" to which you referred. It was again for me the issue of safety perched on the gunwhale of that yacht. One of the reasons I left the class was because my back couldn't take all that "legal" hiking!
When we do meet as a class it will be equally important to discuss the weight limits which Jim thinks appropriate, or the limitation on rig changes. Jim, at this point, after several masts have fallen down, is not even sure that we should stick with aluminum for the masts, put extra spreaders or diamonds on, use carbon etc etc. These are as important as(or more important than) foot straps.
We are sailiing a truly great boat and I am dedicated to seeing that it flourishes. The sooner that we can meet as a class to discuss all the issues, the better.