I think an older class like the J/30 needs to maintain a flexible attitude on suppliers and other 'original equipment' issues. More and more of these boats are going to undergo overhauls that won't be economically feasible without bringing in competitive vendors and allowing for the introduction of more modern materials like epoxy, foam core, etc. in repairs and replacement parts like the rudder. These are not performance enhancing choices, they are economically driven. TPI's rudder price is outrageous, and I think its likely that the final product will be inferior to a vendor that specializes in reproducing foils for various classes.
If your foam core and epoxy rudder weighs the same and features the same profile, I'd say that good enough. Introducing a rudder that weighs 30% less is definitely not in keeping with the one-design spirit. I'd recommend some rules on these issues that were built around weight and geometry rather than vender and materials.
I'm rebuilding a huge section of my hull and everything under the floor. Will I re-introduce vermiculite and polyester resin under the floor? - not a chance. Does this mean my boat will no longer be class-legal - sadly, that's pretty much my expectation (this is especially a bummer since I've got a trailer and like the idea of traveling for some class regattas). But, my boat will be safe, trouble free and easy to maintain, which is by far my first priority.
My boat will be structurally different after these repairs, though based on my materials estimates it will weigh as much or more than the original configuration. For me its a choice about economics, feasibility of the repair and ongoing durability. The other options are 15-20k+ at TPI or letting this otherwise excellent boat rot in the yard. I think that taking a liberal position on replacement parts and materials (with reasonable limitations), and strict rules on weights, rigging, sails and foil shapes could keep these old boats going, while preventing a price=performance arms race that results in low budget boats no longer being competitive.
I still don't think there is any other boat out there with the J/30 blend of qualities. It would be very cool if people became interested in investing in rebuilding these older boats (much like the J/24 world) to keep this large pool of boats racing. I know personally of dozens of J/24s that have been brought back from the brink to competitively race again. This very successful and reasonably priced one design class allows rudders from multiple vendors. We race a $2500 J/24 against a new $40,000 boat and our boat speed seems on par. I'd say the
J/30 Class should consider this model.
Rich
