Offshore Optimising
Februrary/March 2000
Having had the privilege
of designing one of the few ILC maxis in the world I have always been a keen
follower of the line honours/race record issues. In general these are issues
for the yachting community only as the mainstream media takes little interest
in these matters outside of the Sydney to Hobart period. However, as Boxing
Day rolls around this aspect of the sport garners huge and arguably disproportional
attention as Joe Public sits up for his annual dose of yachting. The only
comparable analogy is the Melbourne Cup. I have been told this is a second
race event to the aficionado but for some reason it sucks us all in. I watch,
I have a flutter, and then I forget about horse racing for the rest of the
year. So it is with the general public and sailing.
I believe that for a record to have any meaning it needs to have a context. For human physical endeavors the answer is easy - we all have the body we were given. With technical sports the equipment is the issue and as a result we have different types of motoring events, different types of sailing events and so on. Why would an 18 ft skiff enter an Etchells race? It would be somewhat akin to an F1 contesting the Bathurst 1000. What would be the point? Would it be interesting? I think we all know the answer to that one.
The Sydney to Hobart race record has been based on vessels that have a de facto speed limit which is based on the upper limit of the current ORC managed international handicap formula. When Kialoa III set the record way back when it was the IOR rule. When IMS took over in the early 90s (here at least) the structure essentially remained in tact and it is indicative of how smoothly the baton was passed that we had such a great fight for the line in the 50th running of the Hobart between Tasmania (as the final development of the IOR rule) and Brindabella (representing the new rule). I think seven minutes separated the boats at the finish and the second and third fastest times to date were established.
Now there is no doubting that faster boats have been created and are sailing. These vessels and the events they developed around are superb craft and capable of amazing turns of speed. However, whether they be water ballasted monohulls or large multihulls the actual technology is really nothing new or exciting. Rather it has been repressed in the main stream of ocean racing for one primary reason and it is the same reason that handicap rules exist : to insure that the existing fleet is not made obsolete overnight. Some would argue that this thinking is obsolete and that we will be swamped by the rising tide but that view belies the ongoing reality of our sport and that is that it is still an amateur one peopled by individuals spending there hard earned after tax dollars on something they love. That is the beauty of the Sydney to Hobart and also its main attraction to competitor and spectator alike. That this fact seems to have been lost under the weight of marketing and media is a concern.
The other argument for opening the gates is equally misplaced in that is suffers from logical fallacy. If one argues for the sudden inclusion of water ballasted yachts and so called super yachts in the contention for lines honors and course records on the basis of progressive thinking then where do you stop? If the owner of Mari Cha III does as he suggest he will and builds a 100 foot plus super racer to enter the 2000 Super Yacht division should we be concerned? If technology is to be embraced should we be concerned if Sony Playstation fronts up? Have we thought beyond short sighted self serving considerations to where we might be in two years time when the circus has left town as opposed to simply one? Will the Law of Unintended Consequences come into play? Has it already?
So a few suggestions for the future:
1. Let's recognise who the race is for. The answer is clearly the Australian yachting public that have supported it since day one.
2. Let's accept that being one of the last great handicap ocean races in the world is not such a bad thing. Maybe it's better than good, bordering on unique. Maybe its why the race has such a great media profile which is the only reason the sideshows want to ride on its coat tails?
3. Let's insure that every category of the event has meaning in relation to the history of the event. Continuity creates history and history motivates us to be a part of something bigger.
Somehow I am hoping Gordon Marshall will approve!