Kære H-båds sejlere
Jeg er ved flere lejligheder blevet spurgt om reglerne for brug af diverse ”håndtag” når der hænges i en H-Båd. Vi vendte det i bestyrelsen og besluttede at kontakte vores Chef måler for den International H-båd klasse. Svaret vi fik er ret entydigt: Håndtag af en hver art er tilladt når det er placeret på dæk eller cabine tag. Ideen med Håndtag er at give sejler en sikkerhed når man bevæger sig på båden. Håndtag må ikke bruges som hængeanordning!
Nedenfor kan I læse svaret vi fik fra Chef måler IHA.
This means for the H-Boat class :
It is allowed to use footstraps to bring your body (sitting on the edge of the cockpit or sitting on deck) towards windward. Up to now the length of the footstraps is not limited.It is allowed to use handhelds of any kind, may be of wood or metal or anything else to do it the same when located in the cockpit, on the edge of the cockpit or sitting on deck. The idea of handhelds is to give the sailor an help for security at the moment when he is not in the cockpit, may be on his way to the mast, because of waves, having a possibility of making the position of the sailor’s body save. The idea of handhelds is not hiking ! As a result: It is allowed to use handhelds of any type on the cabin roof or on deck to save yourself, whether your are sitting, standing or going to the front of the boat (for example to change the position of the spinnaker pole) .
It is not allowed to use such equipment (whether handhelds or other tools) to produce an uprighting force, in extrem form giving the possibility to bring the body outside of the hull.
During the last world championships I saw …“some“ competitors, mainly boats with 4 sailors, with at least one sailor standing or sitting on deck and using the shrouds as a „handheld“ while bringing the rest of the body outside of the hull as far as possible.
The function of shrouds is not to be used as a help for „righting force“. This is not allowed too and I will take the chance to make a protest whenever I see something like this in future.
Med venlig hilsen Niels Søndergaard, Klubmåler