Good evidence, especially the second picture. Sailors like to tinker/improve their boats to make them faster and/or easier to sail. Over time, class members must evaluate the degree to which they want to customize their boats and how willing they are to accept differences while still feeling that class rules provide for fair and even racing. Hull #2 surely differs from #545; both sail in the same fleet. This is a question I ponder and am forced to deal with all the time as a class officer. There is a broad array of views within our class. It is tough to turn a boat away from a championship because of some item out of spec with rules, especially when it is not obvious if an item was a factory option. The spin pole track is a perfect example, but I could quickly name a dozen others. Once you let a boat race have you set a precedent? This problem is exacerbated in the
J/30 Class by twenty years time and the fact that most boats race PHRF (or cruise) with out regard to rules. This topic probably deserves its own thread_
