At the seashore in Northern hemisphere, you will find many Tasar symbols. Australian sailors are having a short rest until lovely sea breeze comes, I guess. However, as the country is so big, you can sail through the year at Northern Territory or Queensland.

In Japan, with the International regatta just over a year away, fleets become active. Especially in the Kansai area (includes Osaka and Kobe), members are so vigorous and the horizon of Osaka Bay is covered with their sail !! They look forward to sailing with you next year at Lake Hamana-ko. Be well trained if you are there! They are tough! Joking aside, we are planning some fun you can enjoy as well as racing. Don't miss our pleasant regatta! As JTA want to keep in touch with you and your district's member to inform some news, please tell us the e-mail address of your district representative, if he has it.

The Regatta at Lake Hamana-ko will be the final "Tasar Worlds" in this century. To keep the Tasar as an attractive boat and class in the next Century, I think we should keep exchanging views. This lovely boat has some points that should be improved. We talked about them at our last meeting and agreed to request that builder and designer would have to supply a more uniform boat. With amending rule 4 before the Gorge and now some agreements in Melbourne, I think this class is gradually becoming a "one design class."

Well, how much standardization does it take to make us satisfied? There are many differences between builders, for example; quality of sails, position of center case, bailer and jib leader, bailer size, non-slip treatment of floor, length from u-bolt on bow to mast step pin, etc. At the meeting, many sailors wanted to race a one design boat. If the words "one design" mean the sort of "rigid change nothing" approach that Frank referred to in his last statement, I doubt if it is an appropriate goal for our class.

There are broad range age groups in Tasar events, from younger teens to elder to grand master. Their skill and technique also cover a wide range. Then we have the honor of sailing with valuable sailors such as Olympic Medalists. Also many couples are in this class. Some crews enjoy racing competitively and some do leisurely. This is true for Worlds events as well. For these sailors, who vary in age, body, power, experience, sailing performance and their sailing objectives to be bound by a strict rule is asking too much, I think. I'm never an eccentric, however, I dare to suggest an extreme idea.

Why don’t we remove the rules for fittings ?

It would be sufficient for a "one design boat" if the hull, sails, foils and spars were exactly the same, which is also one of the important issues.

I hope the Tasar would become more free from strict details. Not to be like Laser. To use one's brain to think up devices and make better fitting is also part of the fun of sailing. Indeed, in the past, we have made some improvements such as the rigging of the traveller control line or a different cleat for the boom vang sheet, the shape of the mast rotation stop, etc., for better handling. These alterations by owners should be allowed, I think. Of course, we should not permit all freely. From the view of safety, strength of boat and fairness, we should have some regulations. It may be hard work for us, but the most important thing is to define the minimum points of what is never changed.

These ideas are my individual opinion. I'm sure others will have other ideas. However, many Tasar sailors seem not to be satisfied with the status quo. Let me know your thoughts, please.

Takumi Ozawa
President of JTA & WTC