A-Class: US Association votes to eliminate Rule 8

A-Class Rule 8:
8. 8.1 No part of each hull or hull appendages below the waterline shall be less than 0.75 meters from the centre line.
8.2 Movable and retractable hull appendages shall be inserted from the top or be capable of being fully retractable into the hull.//

Current A-Class Rules: a-cat.org/sites/default/files/ISAF%20A%20CAT%20rules%202010_0_0.pdf

Update: As commented below in the article, we didn´t knew which would be IACA’s reaction to US local rule change. Here is Official IACA comms on the matter : www.a-cat.org

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Report by Bailey White, US Class President posted at USACA fb page:

“Big day today. We had perfect racing conditions and an excellent class meeting for Canada and USA members. We have voted to suspend rule 8 which limits foiling technologies for our regattas for two years to learn more about foiling.
We have not modified any other rule. This is a change just for our two countries before we make a proposal to the world members.

If you want to fly, join us!
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Just yesterday I was talking with a well known A-Class & Moth sailor on how at this point with a no return to floating mode I had many sailors here thinking twice on joining the As, as they are all waiting on what just happened in the US fleet yesterday.

The spirit is “If you gonna Foil, Foil good” , thus many young talented sailors are looking to go Moth instead of A.
And I think is time to go in that direction, kudos to the US Assoc members on stepping up an acting according their will.

Bailey told me they are having so much fun, that they saw no point on keeping current foil aimed restriction.
This a really good reference for IACA
, as the US Class might have the most varied type of A-Cat designs actually racing together, as there are lots of custom built boats and old design now sailing against the latest tech from Europe that arrived to US fleets last within last year.

Of course I don´t know if this will conflict in any manner with IACA, as in Italy they just formed anther Class to go full floating.

In the US Class reign, eliminating this rules means you can put a J board a la FP from the bottom of the hull, and there is no restriction on how far inboard the foil can go.

This will not make a J board A-Cat an instant winner, as the US Class will continue to race in 5knots (I hope) and there the TNZ /FP style Js are quite draggy as seen with the FP in mid to low wind range conditions, issue that can only be fixed with added sail power as reported with the F20FCS.

An if there is something the A-Cat lacks , is raw sail power in the low range. Thus today at least and in my view a TNZ/ J will struggle bad time in 5-6knots. 
Now in the mid range we might see a well refined foil perform. But that is something yet to be seen in a race.

Current DNA, Exploder & Scheurer design foiling packages will keep an edge in the overall as they are doing against the floaters now even in 5-6knot regattas as seen at last French Nats past weeks. Note that ‘cassettes’ foil cases boats are racing at this North Ams, and also raced at Takapuna. Current leaders at St Andrews Bay Yacht Club are racing Exploder, DNA, Exploder production foil setup.

Additionally we might not need to insert from bottom, just check Arno´s full foiling concept (one under current IACA official rules) published some weeks ago. I will surely go for a solution inserted from the top or a good way to keep foil leveled with bottom for our special coast launching conditions.

This local rule change (I don´t know how IACA can react with US Class)  will not allow active trim a la Stunt 9 , but now for instance you can fit (at US regattas) a Kite refined T foil a la Eagle 20HF (checking you are inside the 2,30 width limit).