Following numerous discussions, meetings and comments from a lot of sailors / designers / yards, we are glad to introduce the rule governing this new class of yachts.
The rule text is very much inspired from the 6.50 and 40’ rules, trying to deal efficiently with the loopholes found over time in these two rules, especially in order to prevent from a drift of campaign budgets and keep up with the main objective we wanted for the class: accessibility and cost control.
We would like to emphasize on the core spirit of these open rules: Anything not forbidden is allowed (unlike the one design rules where everything not mentioned is banned) and the rule can (must?) evolve in time.
We have been reminded by some the existence of the “Open 30” class, highlighting its relative lack of success, which seems due to its extreme nature: very sportive, limited versatility and no cost control.
The disaffection of some for handicap racing and especially the developing and successful short handed events reflect the will of many sailors looking for something simpler and to whom elapsed time racing is appealing. For this reason, the rule shall not be to complex, be it for the Corinthian sailor as well as for the team in charge of the measurements and the enforcement of the rule.
Finally, looking our successful predecessors, the classes 6.50 and 40’, our will is obviously not to compete against them, but rather trying to provide a satisfying compromise to the sailors who have lost interest in the more ‘classic’ races with the hassle of gathering a large crew or tuning the boat for the various handicap rules, and who neither have the suppleness to fit into a 6.50 nor the budget to run a 40’. The terminology “Classe 9,50” reminds the 6,50 one (let’s wish the 9.50 a similar success) and let the big boats keep the honour of using the feet!
