The overwhelming message to come out of Sandringham was that the majority of serious Tasar sailors want to race a one design boat !

One of the problems I have regularly encountered during my business life is the "regionalised" changes made to so called "standard designs". A design originally intended as a world-wide standard product often ends up being offered for sale in several different forms in different countries. Often these changes are minor and made in good faith due to the non-availability of some components, market pressure or a multitude of other reasons that seem logical at the time. In the long term these changes often come back to haunt us, as I have found out in my business from time to time.

We have a similar problem now with the Tasar. I am not being overly critical of the decisions made before most of joined the class, they were probably made in good faith in an attempt to promote a new class at the best price, however some are now coming back to haunt us.

There are several differences in Tasars supplied in the various regions, some minor, some not so minor, we all have to work together in getting our great class back to it's original ONE DESIGN principal. Some of the changes required may not suit everyone, and maybe some of the differences in the UK or USA may be better than the Aussie design. The old saying that one cannot please all of the people all of the time is going to be very true.

The areas that we have to work on include sails, mast's, fins and a few other minor items such as position of fittings etc..

Builders have to understand that they cannot change the design or construction of the hull, spars, fittings etc.. without the approval of the class, even such a small item as the mast step pin, sorry Frank. I would expect to be able to take my mast to, say the UK, for a regatta and expect it to fit a charter boat, well I don't think it would.

I have written several times on the differences in sails, both in shape and quality. From my observations over the last couple of years I believe the Australian and UK sails are pretty damn close and of similar good quality, the NATA mains are, I believe, pretty close to any others, but the NATA jibs may need some attention. The NATA sails are also not finished to the same standard as the UK and Australian sails and I believe Starboard Products should reissue a manufacturing standard. Now that the Australian sails are computer cut, maybe that program could be used world-wide ? Maybe Tim and Bruce could educate me as to how their sails are cut.

Over the next year the measures world-wide will need to work together with the builders and sailmakers to overcome the inherent problems we have, and although changes will not happen overnight a stronger and more attractive class will result.

Ian Guanaria

March 3, 1998