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Post by memoryman on Oct 31, 2013 10:56:18 GMT
The news that the BMBA has discussed the possibility of having a Classic class is a good move and will go some way to encouraging owners of older boats to get them out of the garage and onto the water. I would like to make one comment. Given the success of the CVRDA who use cut-off years of 1965 and 1985 for their 'wings', why use the sail number to distinguish Classic British Moths from Moderns? Surely all this does is to introduce yet another distinction which will possibly create confusion and 'bleed' between the classification of the CVRDA and that off the BMBA. There will be some boats at the margin who will qualify for one and not the other which doesn't seem right. Perhaps an explanation of why the sail number was chosen would help people understand.
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Post by rupert on Nov 1, 2013 18:03:35 GMT
Even within the cvrda there are boats where the dates are moved to make things work better - for instance, Fairey Marine made Fireflies till the early 70's, so dividing them makes ittle sense, so they all sail in the Classic fleet.
The Moths have had some big changes. It would make sense if the dates given went in line with them, but I'm sure the class historians have that in hand. As to sail numbers, not dates - people can see a sail number, but may not know when a boat was built.
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Post by abby on Nov 1, 2013 21:35:20 GMT
It is by hull numbers. All British Moths must have their hull numbers engraved on the hull. Godfrey Clarke produced the handbook for the class in 2002 which lists hull numbers, year built and builder. 840 was built by Graham Pope in 2001. For the purposes of CVRDA 797, which was built in 1988, qualifies as do any earlier British Moths.
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Post by memoryman on Nov 2, 2013 12:55:01 GMT
This looks like an example of the problems that concern me. I have copied the following from the CVRDA Constitution,assuming it to be current, regarding the 'wings' of their organisation.
(c) Old Racing Dinghies
We define these boats as being from any dinghy class established before 1965 and built before 1985. This includes any of the development classes established before 1965 as long as the boat was built before 1985.
Lost Classes . Certain interesting examples of dinghies from classes designed between 1965 and 1985 and where that class is no longer in production and its association has ceased to exist, may be permitted to join the Old Racing Dinghies Wing after application to the committee if it is felt that the dinghy embodies the spirit of the CVRDA. See 3 (2) above. No post 1985 built dinghy will be considered.
This seems to say that no boat built after 1985 can be classed as an 'Old' boat. This being the case, how can a Moth built in 1988 be admitted. Of course 326 is a 'Classic' Moth having been built before 1965. A current discussion on the MR website asks if using the thwart from an old Merlin and building a modern hull around it will qualify for the CVRDA? This sounds similar to taking an old Moth and lightening it, changing its hull shape and putting a modern rig on it. This is all good stuff for the 'bar room lawyers' but I really don't believe it's in the spirit of the CVRDA.
I believe the CVRDA is an excellent idea and its popular
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Post by abby on Nov 2, 2013 19:53:51 GMT
Ok. Here we go. This is the forum page of the British Moth Boat Association. We are not the Classic and Vintage Racing Dinghy Association, Unsurprisingly we are interested in sailing British Moths. I have a brand new wooden British Moth (one of 3 new boats this year, so obviously we are still an active Class), and I am looking forward to a whole summer sailing season with British Moths and in the club handicap fleet. Some British Moths are old, some are built by sailors in the front rooms, others are built by professional boat builders - some of the older, 'amatuer' built boats go very quick. Some of them don't. Mostly we all have a very good time sailing them - which is, after all, the whole point.
The idea of doing something with the older boats has been around for a bit. The committee of the BMBA for 2013-2014 discussed it, the committee decided to offer it, the commitee decided the cut off point. We look forward to sailing with all the helms in all the boats who want to sail in the Somerville next summer. Maybe some of the older boats who haven't done so before will come along and take part - maybe they won't. Don't like the format? Think it might be unfair? Then don't sail in it.
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