Dear F18 friends,
In order to make your sailor life easier, the Class decided to implement a certificates database to register all equipment (appendages, hulls, sails) delivered and certified from 1st January 2023 on.
Certificates database implementation: one big step towards self-certification by manufacturers
In implementing this new process, we aim:
– to swift registration process at events (no more need to present any paper document)
– to facilitate equipment inspection (just note stickers numbers)
– and, most importantly, to permit self certification by sailmakers and builders, then applying the “I buy it, I use it!” principle to the sailors, and preventing our Chief Measurer to face a 62 sails certification session prior to a World Championship…
We will contact each manufacturer to define and contract a control process, in order to guarantee the true level playing field character of the Class.
In the medium term, measurers role will swap from initial certification to actual weight and surface controls at events.
This new process relies on the use of numbered stickers, any unique numbered sticker being then connected to one single measured appendage, hull or sail in the Certificates Database.
Use of numbered stickers
As a consequence, we do not need anymore to make a difference between mast, boards or rudders stickers, or between main, jib or gennaker ones as well.
So from now on we will use:
– same untearable stickers for any mast, board or rudder
– same pink dacron stickers for any mainsail, jib or gennaker
– 8 cm diameter transparent stickers for each hull
Parallel to this, we will replace the revenue we were used to get from manufacturers sponsorship by a moderate fee included in the new stickers pricing.
Best regards all,
On behalf of IF18CA Executive Committee,
Olivier Bovyn, President