TOPIC:

Pasted this in from Emma's boat project page to hopefully prod some bods in to doing something positive and proactive for the good of its membership.

The licencing is a joke, we dont have one and yet we build your boats! (for Speed)

The class has a mould, use it!





For information, we are currently building the Albacores for Speed sails whom have NEVER built an Albacore but they hold the licence!




The mould that my 'Shell' was made from is the Class owned and sanctioned 'Woof' mould.

This mould owned by the association in my opinion should be made available to ANY class member to build a boat. Should that boat subsequently not measure then it isn't an Albacore cannot pass.

Who looses out? only the builder not the class, the class can even charge a fee for its use!



This would be a 'Win Win' situation for the Class and its members who want an alternative to the glass boat.



Forget the licence, all this means is paying the RYA to jump through some hoops and even then you can never get hold of them to resolve anything.

Open it up and grow your class!



Putting this on the main page also to hopefully provoke a positive reaction.

Chris



There is already a president for this situation. Richard Thomsons yellow boat (the one you borrowed and won the champs in.... you did win didn't you!!!!) was not built by a registered builder and was granted a certificate. It was the plug from which all the porters came off. I have been trying to get the committee to make coment but to be honest I think we need to ask a measurer to clarify the position.



I am going to clarify the position of the RYA on Monday.



Cheers





Derek

Derek Gibbon2009-03-29 20:23:45

www.bluelightning.co.uk/Merlins/hazardous.htm

Don't know if anyone picked up on this story, but it's intereting if considering a timber build Alb?



I don't know if I am brave enough for an Alb in kit form?



Regards

Mark...FOWLER2009-03-29 22:09:30

Hi Mark, Hi all,



I owned and raced 3 Merlins before I moved to Grimsby and got into Albs. I have been reading about this kit boat project for some while and it's raising a lot of interest.

The Merlin fleet is growing all the time because new boats are being built. OK it's a development class and the front of the fleet are chasing the latest hot design but each new boat puts a recent boat into someone elses hands as crews upgrade throughout the fleet and/or new folk join the class. They have open meetings with 30+ boats every week during the season and a very active historic wing. Salcombe week and the Nationals are always oversubscribed.



It dismays me to read year after year how the Albacore class repeatedly scares off boat builders who just might breath some new life into the class.



AND.....I also sailed Ents for many years and my dad built 3 of them. It doesn't matter who builds an Ent, so long as it measures it's an Ent!!

He also built me a Cadet, which we sold to Nigel Barrow who won the Cadet Worlds in it. The Cadet class went all GRP/FRP (whatever) but have, I believe, just modified their rules to re-introduce wood construction and home construction.



Regards



Steve Brown,

Formerly Covenham SC, but no Albs in Bahrain so now Awali Golf Club!!

For me, the class could charge Ł100 per hull taken from the mould, rent the mould for a maximum period of say four months per hull and forget the licence. Or the class have the licence and the boats are built under that.



If it doesn't measure then it needs to be rectified or at worst scrapped, either way the class does not lose out it is all at the builders risk.



Anyone yet seen a boat from the moulds recently?


So we are all clear, I repaired the class owned moulds at my own expense to pull my one hull from, that was in 2005.

I would love to see a wooden boat built from the mould even if its just to know my time was not wasted.



Give them to Chris Somner atleast he builds dinghies and is a class member!



Steve, the Cadet have now re-introduced the wood boats, I belive most of the wooden boats I built still fetch the same money I sold them for 15 years ago. Going to have to find my mould again...

Chris T2009-03-30 14:09:10