A philosophical question

[Derik Palmer]

Its very quiet on this forum. Is that just because Sprint sailors are mostly hibernating?

For those who are awake, I have an interesting question, a philosophical one that might have a technical answer. Well I find it interesting, but then I'm probably a nerd...

I've bought 1342 - but how do I know its 1342? I've sailed monohulls all my life and its quite easy to know which boat you've got because its permanently marked on it somewhere. I have a Merlin Rocket and its number is carved into the thwart (the only wooden bit of an otherwise carbon hull. Whatever I change on the boat, and however much I change, it will always be the same number, the one marked on the thwart.

But looking at the Windsport website I see that I can buy any and every piece of a Sprint 15. If I smash a hull I can buy a new one, and theoretically I could replace both hulls, buy new beams and mast, and a new sail come to that. At what point would it stop being 1342? Or is it like Trigger's broom; it had five new heads and three new handles but was the same broom he started out with? Which bit of the boat is the heart of 1342?

There. Thats got you thinking, hasn't it?

[Liam]

I have replaced everything on 1957 apart from two beams, two hulls and the hound.

[Mark Aldridge]

When boats were new since day 1 I think, you got some paperwork that linked the hull ID numbers to the sail number and this was with the rigging manual & CE blurb from Laser. The mast had a unique number too. Most likely over the years these doc's have long since been lost along the way of ownership changes.

My boat was new from Windsport in June 2018 and I have the paperwork to confirm sail number, hull numbers and mast number so all there with the rigging manual etc, so this tradition and practice remains. The rigging manual is available on here somewhere FYI.

With the revised design boats from White Formula/Windsport there are some changes that make major components non-interchangeable with the previous design and these are (from memory):

Mast: Re-positioning of the slot opening where the bolt rope is fed & new dies meaning original design dimensions of the extrusion are recovered. This doesn't prevent you using a new mast on the non Windsport boats, but helps you age a mast quickly. Oh while I think of it make sure you pin your mast foot/ball when your boat is in the boat park or it'll wear out in no time!

Front Beam: Dart 18 profile - bigger essentially to share the same extrusion profile for manufacturing MOQ's practically.

Hulls: Larger receiving profile in the hulls to accept the D18 beam profile & no cocktail cabinets (hatch cover bags instead). Closer attention to weights & measures of raw materials too I understand.

...so this means that to a point you are correct and as boats have been crashed over the years then parts may have been replaced including masts (changing from 2 to 1 piece too for example), beams, hulls, rudder stocks/blades, tramp's etc so definitely a Trigger's Broom potential.

[Mark Aldridge]

Which bit of the boat is the heart of 1342?

For years I sailed with #19 as my sail number when the boat was/is actually #1989. I was too lazy to change the numbers on my sail from my previous boat (#1966), so just peeled off the 66 and left it.

It wasn't uncommon for folk to say to me that for such an old boat it looked so good...

Some sailors have an association to a particular sail number & want to keep it, so you may see some anomalies and loaned sails as you start to travel about to events.

[Derik Palmer]

Mark, that of course raises a more practical point; I have no official registration document for my boat, and never before having owned a single-manufcturer boat I don't even know if they exist in the same way as in more traditional classes. Should I have a measurement certificate or registration document and if so, who supplies it? The class association? The RYA?

[Mark Aldridge]

Well I suppose Derik that the boat should have the paperwork from new, but quite honestly this is not a class for measuring and weighing so you don't need to be concerned.

It would be extraordinary for such a boat to have strayed from standard specifications due to the general availability of the major components being restricted to certain key suppliers (you're about to update your mainsail to an 'official' Hyde one & there are some copies out there that are not class legal FYI) & it'll soon be obvious if you've innocently bought a boat with a Sting mast & main as you line up on the start line.

I am honestly not aware in the >22 years I've been sailing this boat (on & off) of anybody surreptitiously trying to gain an advantage through the boat components.

if you speak to the Association Secretary (Andrew Berisford: secretary@sprint15.com ) he should have the historical membership database and just maybe, you may be able to trace the hull ID & original mast ID. I think I'm right in saying that some years ago such info' was logged, but don't quote me on that just in case...

Like I say, no need to be overly concerned about the paperwork. Just tighten your tramp until the fittings bend, ensure your rudders are straight and parallel (rear of the boat in the air & drop the rudders down - check with tape measure fore/aft blade edges), fit a decent sail & battens and away you go!

[Brian Phipps]

Hi, Mark is spot on with his comments however, if you do need some paperwork which could be required if taking your boat abroad you can order a replacement owners certificate from the current manufacture Windsport. They will need the following pictures, your boat with sails up, hull numbers, sail number, and and other identifiable marks. This is largely to prove the boat belongs to you and conforms to the design specification at the time of manufacture.
Regards Brian

[Bob Carter]

I have replaced everything on 1957 apart from two beams, two hulls and the hound.

Not bragging again are you?

[Derik Palmer]

I have replaced everything on 1957 apart from two beams, two hulls and the hound.

I know how difficult it can be to find a crew for sailing two-handed, but don't you think putting the dog in a trapeze harness is going a bit far?

[Mark Aldridge]

Hi, Mark is spot on with his comments however, if you do need some paperwork which could be required if taking your boat abroad you can order a replacement owners certificate from the current manufacture Windsport. They will need the following pictures, your boat with sails up, hull numbers, sail number, and and other identifiable marks. This is largely to prove the boat belongs to you and conforms to the design specification at the time of manufacture.
Regards Brian

Good to know the service is there Brian.

[Liam]

I have replaced everything on 1957 apart from two beams, two hulls and the hound.

Not bragging again are you?

Moi?