Seth, I disagree most emphatically with your last post ... although I will defend to the death your right to say it! ;-) Beyond just J/30s, I feel that it's up to a given _class_ to set the standard. PHRF organizations should then validate the one-design rules. PHRF should hold to its stated belief that any modification to the one-design configuration, where one exists, is a deviation from the de-facto standard and is assumed to be speed-producing.
I think much of this discussion is a "where you stand depends on where you sit" (or sail} issue. Here on the Ches_Bay we have an active one-design calendar, so our default is one-design with PHRF as an after-thought. You've got the converse situation. Here PHRF of the Ches_Bay is unconcerned about the well-being of any given one-design fleet, the J/30 Fleet, like any one-design class, looks out for the best interests of its members.
On the specific sail issues, I remain unconvinced. I don't think that:
- Light #1 genoas,
- Laminated mains, and/or
- Lighter than .75 oz nominal chutes (which are closer to .5 oz actual weight
are cost-effective at the margin. All the high-tech sailcloth in the world isn't going to change the fundamental speed potential of a J/30, although it will definitely have the effect of raising the bar for costs to compete. Nor do I feel that (with the exception of the #3) high tech materials have a significant advantage in longevity.
