So here comes this new process that we are to measure our boats and have a measurer verify the measurement(???). In 2011, I purchased one of the three boats in question the Thursday morning of the Charleston National. Baron delivered it to me. The boat I purchased was the current year's Florida EC12 Champion and many time National and Regional front runner. I presented my new boat to tech and Bob D starts exclaiming "I found another one".... I am looking at him like he has lost his mind..... I keep hearing him say you are too narrow by some millimeter figure ( I do not recall) at Station 30. I am thinking he has lost his mind as this is an RMD hull that he made..... possibly "bad Kool Aid" No one said a thing to me about rectifying the narrowness. Turns out to be 1mm @ Station 30 taking into account the +/- variable. Now if any of you have ever seen me sail, I cannot make good use of the 1mm narrowness. I am now told to get a high heat gun and peel the deck off the boat and install a new one......for 1 mm. if I am forced to do this, I will quit this class. I bought this boat with the most honorable of intentions and paid a slightly higher price based on its record. If this decision is paramount to the future of the class, go forward but please remember, all those that are out of spec will most likely put their boats away and the class will be the worse for it. Not sure with declining numbers of EC12's, this would be the smartest decision. The right move is to grandfather these boats and then move forward with the verbage in the rules both sides feel are necessary.
Frank Vella 1982
PS One of the other boats was the National Champion at Stowe..... I understand his hull was compromised and tossed after he attempted to remove the deck.