Canopies for all?

[Adam]

Just to see what the general feeling is to the UIM (Cominoff) proposal that all offshore raceboats will eventually have canopies?

From what I have seen there is no clear proposed introduction date although 2006 is being talked about for 3C. Existing boats being grand fathered (on cockpit - but not to weight changes to come).

This would perhaps be OK for an open boat racing before that date with an Optimax - but as it ties in with the date when the XR2 looses homolgation if you don't change engine and race prior to 2006 you will have to be re-measured and thus fit in with new rules!

It maybe all a good thing and it certain cases would greatly increase safety - but will we still have a racing fleet? Where does it leave other non-internatioal classes? I.E. RIB's, Honda One Design (if number of boats turning over was a consideration then the 225's should definitely have a canopy!)

??????
Adam

[lindeman]

Hi Adam,

yes there are some discussions in Cominoff to make canopies mandatory in offshore 3C, but nothing has been put forward on paper yet. The discussion was started when they allowed the EPA engines, but I think Cominoff agreed to "wait and see" how the new engines performed. The problem currently is the "experiment" by the Swedes - Ocke is making a "plug-in" canopy for all boats. This canopy is being fitted to a new 3C bat-boat, but this hasn't been racing yet...

I am personally against us having mandatory canopies on the 3C boats - it will increase the cost of a boat with about €12 000, and increase the weight of the boats with at least 50-60 kg. It will probably kill the 3C class :-(

Btw; the XR2 does not loose its homologation until 2010, but they are disallowed from 2006 because of the EPA rules...

-Morten

[Adam]

Agree with you that canopies would kill off 3C - at least for Britain - just cannot see people going to the expense of it. I certainly could not justify it.

I guess a lot depends on what engines may be released in the future for what will become a 3 litre class. If power figures were to go up significantly and thus speeds combined with weights (all increasing) then it may be a different case - and canopies could well be an obvious way to go.

[Cat]

Went to scrutineering meeting on saturday & saw some pics off the new proposed cell for class 3, Looks very nice but apparently it is £10,000 unglazed. Iff the cost of that does'ent kill cless 3 I dont know what will. Also apparently no one will have dodgy engines this year (according to the powers that be, its not worth it). Ho Hum

[lindeman]

The funny thing about adding a Canopy to a 3C cat, is the increase in speed. Even though I added more than 60 Kg to my boat, the top speed was increased by about 1.5 knots. Airflow is a funny mechanism :-)

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally posted by Cat
Looks very nice but apparently it is £10,000 unglazed.

You can't beat a spot of profiteering can you, at that price it ought to come with some sort of guarantee!!!!

Surely someone could come up with something for a lot less money than that.

Although what sort of price would you put on safety!