Rule Changes for Sail Measurment

6 November 2014

The Fireball class rules predate ISAF's SCR (Standard Class Rules) and ERS (Equipment Rules of Sailing) by a fair number of years, and we have been having some difficulties with sail measurement since the early 2000s. Like many classes, we have had a hard time getting volunteers to learn how to measure sails, and there have been complaints that it is becoming more and more difficult to get sails measured. This tends to lead to a lot of sail measurement being done the night before, or the morning of, an event, a situation that's hardly pleasant for the people needing their sails measured or for the people measuring them.

A number of National Class Associations have asked Fireball International to "translate" our sail measurement rules into ERS- and SCR-compliant language and format so that ISAF-certified International Measurers can measure Fireball sails, and a number of sail lofts have asked for the same thing in order to initiate the ISAF In-House Certification process that would eliminate the need for their clients having to run around to get their sails measured. The objective was not to change any of the sail measurements (although we are now allowing a flattening reef), but to clarify that sails are to be measured according to the ISAF standards.

The attached files are the result of a joint effort between the Fireball International Technical Committee, a number of the sail lofts active in the Class, an ISAF-certified International Measurer and two ISAF technical co-ordinators. If there are any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

Best Regards,

Tom Egli, Fireball International Technical Committee Chair

2014-02 - Rule Amendment Proposal

IFCR 20 Sails

Current Wording:

The wording of this rule has only been adjusted to comply with ISAF terminology.

Amended Wording:

The wording of this rule has only been adjusted to comply with ISAF terminology. Refer to Appendix 4 - Sail Use and Measurement for the use and measurement of sails.

Delete Rules 20.1 through 20.8

Reason:

The Fireball class rules predate the ISAF SCR (Standard Class Rules) and ERS (Equipment Rules of Sailing) by a fair number of years, and we have been having some difficulties with sail measurement since the early 2000s. Like many classes, we have had a hard time getting people to put in the time and effort to learn how to measure sails, and there have been complaints that it is becoming more and more difficult to get sails (properly) measured. This tends to lead to a lot of sail measurement being done the night before, or the morning of, an event, a situation that's hardly pleasant for the people needing their sails measured or for the people measuring them.

A number of National Class Associations have asked Fireball International to "translate" our sail measurement rules into SCR-compliant language and format so that ISAF-certified IMs can measure Fireball sails, and a number of sail lofts have asked for the same thing in order to initiate the IHC process that would eliminate the need for their clients having to run around to get their sails measured. The objective was not to changes any of the sail measurements (although we are now allowing a flattening reef), but to clarify that sails are to be measured according to the ISAF standards.

The attached file is the result of a joint effort between the Fireball International Technical Committee, a number of the sail lofts active in the Class, an ISAF-certified International Measurer and two ISAF technical co-ordinators.

Proposed By:

Fireball International Technical Committee

COPY OF NEW RULES PROPOSED

APPENDIX 4 - Sail Use and Measurement

Section A - Conditions for Racing

A.1 SAILS

A.1.1 MODIFICATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

(a) After certification, sails shall not be altered in any way except as permitted by these
class rules.

(b) The following is permitted without re-certification or approval and may be done by
anyone:

(1) Routine maintenance

(2) Addition of tell tales

(3) Addition of camber stripes

(4) Battens may be placed in the batten pockets

(5) Minor repairs, such as applying tape to holes or tears in the body of the sail.

A.1.2 LIMITATIONS

(a) Not more than one mainsail, one headsail and one spinnaker shall be carried aboard.

(b) Not more than two mainsails, two headsails and two spinnakers shall be used
during a World or a Continental Championship, except when a sail has been lost or
damaged beyond repair.

A.1.3 MAINSAIL

(a) USE

(1) No part of the mainsail shall extend above the lower edge of the mast upper
limit mark.

(2) No part of the mainsail shall extend behind the fore side of the boom outer
limit mark.

(3) Luff and foot bolt ropes shall be in the spar grooves.

Section B - Sails

B.1 PARTS

B.1.1 MANDATORY

(a) Mainsail

(b) Headsail

B.1.2 OPTIONAL

(a) Spinnaker

B.2 GENERAL

B.2.1 RULES

(a) Sails shall comply with the class rules in force at the time of certification.

B.2.2 CERTIFICATION

(a) The official measurer shall certify mainsails and headsails in the tack and
spinnakers in the head and shall sign and date the certification mark.

(b) An ISAF In-House Certification (IHC) Authorizing Authority may appoint one or
more In-House Official Measurer(s) to measure and certify sails produced by a
manufacturer.

B.2.3 SAILMAKER

(a) No licence is required.

B.2.4 MODIFICATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

(a) Alterations as described in Section A are permitted but any additional work requires
new certification control and re-certification.

B.3 MAINSAIL

B.3.1 IDENTIFICATION

(a) The International Fireball Class insignia shall be a red disc, placed back to back on
the two sides of the mainsail.

Measurement minimum maximum

Class insignia diameter 497 mm 523 mm

(b) National letters must be in accordance with ISAF RRS Appendix G. ISAF RRS
Appendix G1.1(b) is modified such that the mainsail shall carry national letters.

(c) The sail number must be in accordance with ISAF RRS Appendix G. The sail
number is allotted by the class association.

B.3.2 MATERIALS

(a) The body of the sail shall consist of woven ply or laminated ply.

(b) Where the body of the sail is made of laminated ply, the film shall be of polyester
and the ply fibres shall be of polyester, polyethylene or aramid.

(d) Primary reinforcement and secondary reinforcement may be of woven ply or
laminated ply.

(e) Battens shall be made of glass fibre.

B.3.3 CONSTRUCTION

(a) The construction shall be: soft sail, single-ply sail.

(b) The body of the sail shall consist of the same woven ply or laminated ply
throughout, except that within 400 mm of the foot an alternate material is
permitted.

(d) The sail may be constructed so that it can be reefed by means of one point adjacent
to the leech no more than 275 mm from the clew point. No other reefing points are
permitted.

Measurement minimum maximum

Reefing point to clew point - 275 mm

(e) Only the following are permitted: Seams, stitching, glues, tapes, primary
reinforcement, secondary reinforcement, tabling, bolt ropes, corner eyes or
webbing, headboard with fixings, Cunningham eye or pulley, batten pockets,
batten pocket patches, batten pocket elastic, uppermost batten pocket end cap at
luff end and tensioning or fastening device at leech end, leech line with cleat on
leech, not more than two windows, one boom slide fixed at the clew, tell tales, sail
shape indicator stripes, sail identification, sailmaker labels, certification mark, and
items as permitted or prescribed by other applicable rules.

(f) The leech shall not extend aft of straight lines between:

(1) the aft head point and the intersection of the leech and the upper edge of the
nearest batten pocket,

(2) the intersection of the leech and the lower edge of a batten pocket and the
intersection of the leech and the upper edge of an adjacent batten pocket
below,

(3) the clew point and the intersection of the leech and the lower edge of the
nearest batten pocket.

(g) The sail shall not be a double luff sail.

B.3.4 DIMENSIONS

Measurement minimum maximum

Leech length - 6350 mm

Quarter width - 2550 mm

Half width - 1940 mm

Three-quarter width - 1140 mm

Top width - 180 mm

Primary reinforcement - 320 mm

Secondary reinforcement:

from sail corner measurement point - 960 mm

from Cunningham eye or pulley - 960 mm

for flutter patches - 105 mm

for chafing patches - 960 mm

for batten pocket patches - 320 mm

at a reefing point adjacent to leech - 960 mm

Tabling width - 100 mm

Distance from clew point to foot bolt rope - 100 mm

Distance from tack point to foot bolt rope - 450 mm

Total window(s) area - 0.28 m2

Window(s) to sail edges 150 mm -

Vertical extension of headboard from

head point - 160 mm

Batten pocket length:

uppermost pocket: inside - 1170 mm

intermediate pockets: inside - 885 mm

lowermost pocket: inside - 735 mm

Batten pocket width:

inside - 50 mm

outside - 80 mm

Head point to intersection of leech

and centreline of
uppermost batten pocket 1285 mm -

Clew point to intersection of leech

and centreline of
lowermost batten pocket 800 mm -

Distance from lowermost batten

pocket to foot 800 mm -

B.4 HEADSAIL

B.4.1 MATERIALS

(a) The body of the sail shall consist of woven ply or laminated ply.

(b) Where the body of the sail is made of laminated ply, the film shall be of polyester
and the ply fibres shall be of polyester, polyethylene or aramid.

(d) Primary reinforcement and secondary reinforcement may be of woven ply or
laminated ply.

B.4.2 CONSTRUCTION

(a) The construction shall be: soft sail, single-ply sail.

(b) The body of the sail shall consist of the same woven ply or laminated ply
throughout.

(d) Only the following are permitted: Seams, stitching, glues, tapes, primary
reinforcement, secondary reinforcement, tabling, corner eyes or webbing,
Cunningham eye, hanks, leech line with cleat on leech, not more than two
windows, tell tales, sail shape indicator stripes, sail identification, sailmaker labels,
certification mark, and items as permitted or prescribed by other applicable rules.

(e) The luff shall not enclose the forestay.

B.4.3 DIMENSIONS

Measurement minimum maximum

Luff length - 4320 mm

Luff Perpendicular - 1525 mm

Foot median minus the

mean of the luff length and
the leech length - 155 mm

Top width - 40 mm

Primary reinforcement - 280 mm

Secondary reinforcement:

from sail corner

measurement points - 840 mm

for flutter patches - 75 mm

for chafing patches - 840 mm

Tabling width - 40 mm

Total Window(s) area - 0.28 m2

Window(s) to sail edges 150 mm -

B.5 SPINNAKER

B.5.1 IDENTIFICATION

(a) The sail number must be in accordance with ISAF RRS Appendix G. The sail
number shall be the same as that on the mainsail.

(b) ISAF RRS Appendix G.1.3(d) is modified such that national letters are not required
on spinnakers.

B.5.2 MATERIALS

(a) The body of the sail, primary reinforcement and secondary reinforcement shall
be of nylon or polyester woven ply.

B.5.3 CONSTRUCTION

(a) The construction shall be: soft sail, single-ply sail.

(b) The body of the sail shall consist of the same woven ply throughout. This
limitation does not apply to the colour of the ply, which may differ from panel to
panel.

(c) Only the following are permitted: Seams, stitching, glues, tapes, tabling, primary
reinforcement, secondary reinforcement, corner eyes or webbing, recovery line
eyes or webbing, tell tales, sail indicator stripes, sail identification, sailmaker labels,
certification mark, and items as permitted or prescribed by other applicable rules.

B.5.4 DIMENSIONS

Measurement minimum maximum

Leech length and luff length - 4350 mm

Foot length - 3000 mm

Foot Median - 5100 mm

Difference between diagonals - 50 mm

Half width 2810 mm 3450 mm

Primary reinforcement - 280 mm

Secondary reinforcement:

from sail corner measurement

points - 840 mm

For flutter patches - 75 mm

for recovery line point - 320 mm

Tabling width - 40 mm

Fireball International

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