Tasar II Proposal - Australian Tasar Council Position Statement

The ACT is not convinced that the Tasar class has entered the third stage of its cycle. A class that can attract in excess of 100 boats to 2 of the last 3 world championships and nearly eighty to the third cannot say it is in decline. The class in Australia still attracts sizable fleets to state and national titles however in SA, WA and possible QLD the class is entering Stage 3 The demand for secondhand boats, particularly in NSW and Vic is high and this is contributing to the decline in the class in other states as secondhand boats are being bought from those markets The lack of new boats has contributed to this in that quality secondhand boats are not coming on the market and your figure of 5 new boats sold world wide this year is testament to this.

The NSW Assoc. have recognised this fact and this is one of the reasons that it has circulated a questionnaire to its members. While the responses have not been collated yet, some areas of concern expressed by the members have been the lack of marketing of the Tasar and the high prices of new boats and spare parts. These factors have contributed significantly to the decline of sales of new and replacement boats.

In the preamble to the Tasar II proposal Frank says that he will do nothing that will harm the class. However the majority of people have overlooked this and focused purely on the proposal of the Tasar II which some see as no more then a marketing ploy being forced on the Associations by the manufacturer. The ATC feels that the Tasar class is a mature class in which members would be more receptive to changes coming from within rather than those imposed be the manufacturer.

If Frank's proposal for a Tasar II is considered in isolation, that is as a new class, it is a very interesting concept. However as an upgrade to the existing class the ATC has grave concerns, the main one being the effect it would have on existing members in the class. The Tasar has been evolutionary in that small changes have been made to the class rules over time. The proposal for the Tasar II quite revolutionary and if proceeded with will devalue all existing Tasars. The major investment in a boat is the hull and all other parts can be considered consumables and are likely to be replaced over the life of the boat. The ATC believe that major changes to the weight of the hull proposed in the Tasar II have caused the greatest concern within the Tasar community.

The ATC feels that the current Tasar community, in Australia, would be unwilling to foster a new class even though it may bear the same name.

As a Class we cannot afford to stick our heads in the sand and not think about the future of the Tasar but at the same time be aware of the concerns of the members. The proposal has stimulated some positive discussion and perhaps it can be used to plan a way ahead in increments making use of new technology rather than allow the class to stagnate and die. With this in mind and subject to the support of it's members, the ATC will propose, at the next WTC meeting in Victoria, Canada the formation of a planning committee to develop change in an evolutionary way.

Chris Parkinson
President
ATC

Posted 2002-11-21

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