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Maricat Newsletter


lachy pudney

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Hey I would just like to congratulate Mick, Peter, John and anyone else involved in getting the newsletter up and running. ithink ytou have done a great job and hope it inspires people to get back into the maricats.

I would also like to comment on the idea of putting in place a minimum skipper weight on the new foam-sandwich maricats. I think that if we are going to embrace the foam-sandwich boats as a way of the future we should try and get as many on the water as possible to try and make future racing as even as possible.

Lachy Pudney

[This message has been edited by lachy pudney (edited 08 February 2006).]

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Had a look at the Newsletter.

Good stuff.

One comment, with regard to the article there, re the foam sandwich hulls. I don't agree with the weight limit being set at 90kg. That seems a lot to me. Most "Blokes" dont get up much over 80kg-85kg. If the new hulls are to the the future of the class, then let the average "Bloke" sail them,and then lightweights [Probably young'ns] sail the older and cheaper

boats.

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During the time that Maricats have been around the average weight of the Australian Male and Female has increased. From 1980 to 1995 the average weight of the Australian male has risen by 3.6 kg and for females 4.8 kg. So selecting an average weight may be a moving target.

The average weight for an Australian Adult was 70.1 kg in 1989-90 and 74.3 kg in 2001.

In 2002 the average Australian male was 1.74 meters tall and weighs 82kg. the average Australian female was 68kg.

If we wish to adopt new skipper weights then I agree it should be tied to the weight of the average bloke which is currently 84kg.

For youth I think the weight limit should be different. Basically one of the aims of the Maricat Association is to encourage youth to participate in sailing. For skippers under 24 years of age I would like to see the weight limit dropped to 60kg or just removed completely. If that means some of the older and heavier skippers get beaten regularly on the course by the younger guys then great !!! Some of the younger guys may also wish to get into a new foam sandwich boat at some point, and why not?

For those interested my own weight is 97kg.

cheers !

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seems to me your are already at a dissadvatage at getting people into maricats if people have to be a certain weight to sail them at states or nats.

So everyone who has a high metabalism, annorexic, balemia, dwarfs and ect ect wouldn't be able to sail at the highest point of maricats?

I would think seeing cat sailing in aus is ok in numbers but not great you wouldn't be telling people how much to weigh now would you?

I'm 110 kg's so it wouldn't affect me.

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Does it matter who weighs what ? One bad tack or tactical error is probably more important than a few kilos. Keep the boats fairly low tech and not too expensive..that is the attraction. If we make it too complicated numbers at races will not increase. There are lots of Maricats out there but we need to attract them to race..especially sloops. I have no intention of carrying 20kg of lead to bring the crew weight up to the "average" couch potato weight of 85kg. Why not set the minimum boat weight at 95kg (or whatever) which will allow the new FS boats to be built stronger and stiffer but keeps the old boats in the hunt..and forget all about skipper and crew weights.

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wow boys previous letter explains all about the weights TOPIC NEW BOATS 90KG . no weight restrictins means me at 72kg with 45yrs sailing experience on foam sandwich boat, will be waiting for you all at the finish line WHICH WOULD BE VERY UNFAIR TO MOST .......PIRATE.

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Pointed Reply,

The new foam sandwich boats have a minimum all up weight of 95kg. This is the same for all maricat 4.3s. My boat, ZAX, is below minimum weight so I carry weights during association events. The other foam sandwich boat on the water is about 1.5kg over weight. It is expected that boats built from now on are all on or very near to the minimum weight of 95kg.

There has always been a minimum weight for crews on the maricats as there is for many classes.

Personally I would like to see the weight restriction removed or lowered for youth sailors.

For the heavy guys like myself... if we get beaten because someone is lighter, fitter, whatever... then if it of concern there is always Jenny Craig.

As for someone lighter blitzing the fleet on a new foam boat. If they can do it, then good luck to them. I still think it comes down more to the skipper/strategy/tactics/tuning/picking the shifts etc. A good skipper on a well prepared boat will do well on an older boat or a new foam sandwich boat.

Look out for number 16 on the water... its going fast, as is Mick !

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