New Boat Specs.

[clyde]

I've been thinking about the boat specs. I was wondering about the possibility for simplifying them. This does a number of things, one of which is to make it easier to design a boat, it might also allow the flexibility to increase more innovative designs that will improve out sport, but possibly the two most important justifications would be to make it quicker and easier to check boats either for major championships and maybe even to push the ICF into taking on board the importance of recognising/registering designs.

Another big thing that could also happen could be for the possibility to manufacture a smaller polo boat than the Evolution (which may well be the smallest polo boat which complies with the current specs).
By producing a boat which is maybe 2.5m long 50cm long and only 120mm deep might well encourage small children to play our sport at a sub competitive level in schools and youth groups, and thus paving the way for a new culture of polo playing generation who do not look at our sport as a minority, but more a normal run of the mill sport which they have played since they were 8 years old.

Currently in Europe there are plans to produce a couple of hundred boats specifically to increase awareness of the sport amongst the public. The easiest way is through children, who would be hindered and dwafed by normal sized boats.
If these boats could be made in plastic, think of the possibilities.

I would look to change the specs to something like the following:-
Max length - 3M
Min rad in plan - 100mm
Min rad in profile - 30mm
On the Back Deck section (same as now) 30mm Rad through rise of 20mm. 5mm Rad on top of this min.

That would be it I think.

Currently the biggest difference is that on the front deck and impact area there is supposed to be a rad of 50mm top and bottom, which is silly since the bumper is only going to protect 50mm of it.
The minimum depth would also go out the window which is pointless as by increasing the lumps on the side it stops the gauge testing the depth of the cockpit anyway, and if the body protection was adequate then there wouldn't be any issues anyway.

So this is what we lose:-
No min depth, weight, width, length and No max length or width.

Any thoughts ?

[Stuart Midgley]

Hi all

I agree with Clyde to a large extent with boat specifications. The main issue I have is that the boat specifications in the rules are never really applied at the scrutineering level. That is, at nearly every competition attended (local, state, national, international) technically illegal boats pass scrutineering and are used in games.

So, why have the rules?

Why not adjust the rules to match what actually happens at the scrutineering level?

I think Clydes basic outline is quite nice, but minimum depths are needed in a few strategic areas. Like around the cockpit, nose and tail of the boat (for safety). In all other areas, as long as nothing is less than 5mm radius, it should be fine.

Unfortunately, this topic has been raised several times, discussed and toyed with and nothing seems to have changed much. I guess from a manufacturers point of view, having quite details rules allows a boat design to be easily developed and passed. Having lax rules would be more open to interpretation which might cause problems for certain designs at world champs etc.

Stu.

[Jon Bisset]

Just a quick answer. The ICF Canoe Polo Committee reviewed the Boat Specifications with the intention to simplify them significantly for the new rules.

Unfortunately the International Canoe Federation decided that Boat Specification changes would not be made in any discipline as part of the last lot of rule changes.

The committee discussed changes at our most recent meeting in Essen - and spoke to several Boat Builders/Designers (including Clyde) and will be formulating some proposals for the next round of Rule Changes.

[Neville Hine]

For ALL boat specs, the simpler the better. Just look how long it took to simplify the specs of sprint boats to match the reality of there being - effectively speaking - narrower boats than the specified minimum width, resulting in a sprint boat which looked ugly, with those dreadful "wings", obeyed the rules only in the most technical manner, and was actually quite hard to manufacture, in many ways. I would hate to see designs evolve that would be better in the rejects bin, simply because to rules don't recognise and respond to the reality of any clear and obvious trends - again, c.f. the spint boats debacle.

[RB-Ex-MrPolo]

Originally posted by Jon Bisset
Just a quick answer. The ICF Canoe Polo Committee reviewed the Boat Specifications with the intention to simplify them significantly for the new rules.

Unfortunately the International Canoe Federation decided that Boat Specification changes would not be made in any discipline as part of the last lot of rule changes.

The committee discussed changes at our most recent meeting in Essen - and spoke to several Boat Builders/Designers (including Clyde) and will be formulating some proposals for the next round of Rule Changes.

Jon,
how can you hide behind that!

I redid the boat specs, and submitted them to ICF Polo, about 10 years ago!! Incorporating a lot of the simplification folks are asking for. The original specs were a real botch-job just to get some form of spec past the stuffed shirts of BCU Polo

Why do we keep letting ICF push us around, and delay for ever ?

And before discussing designs with builders, first decide why we have the rules at all. There are three basic principles
- Safety. Keep sharp edges and pointy ends out, keep speed down
- Have designs which to some extent suit all levels of the sport.
-Don't allow it to become the team with the most money to constantly redesign, is the one that wins.

[RB-Ex-MrPolo]

Clyde says: - By producing a boat which is maybe 2.5m long 50cm long and only 120mm deep might well encourage small children to play our sport at a sub competitive level in schools and youth groups

I can't agree. My kids (now 11 and 9), and their friends, have enjoyed messing about in polo bats for years now. Precisely because they are small, light, manouvreable. I didn't have to go to any expense to get them for them! And to lend some to their friends.

Making them 50cm wide would make them too tippy for most kids.
You Might have a point with the depth, but I don't really think so, over age about 6.

I have seen so many terrible kayaks - supposedly designed for kids. Nearly always there is something better available, and often it's a polo bat, or a play boat of some kind.

for God's sake, stop thinking of a new boat design as the way to improve the sport. Get effort put into organising polo to suit kids, just like other kids sports do. A "competition" all over and finished in one hour! Go to the venue with just your swimmers, and your pocket money. Lots of improvement awards, lollies, trophies. Check out how kids soccer is run, and other kids sports. We need some very light, non-damaging paddles, so they don't need to wear helmet and facemask.