I want to promote some discussion on a part 8 of the proposed Sabre Charter that deals with building FRP boats from moulds. I believe the charter will be put to vote sometime in the near future.
As you may or may not know I have purchased the original YMS moulds. I intend to use these moulds to build a Sabre for myself and hire them to capable builders at a reasonable price. The aim was to achieve 3 main things. 1 To build a competitive boat at a much cheaper price than a good used boat. 2 To provide a facility for like minded people to do the same. 3 Build the local fleet.
The hire fee will, over time, help return the cost of the moulds back to me. I do not believe I will ever actually make a profit from these moulds. It would be profitable if I produced boats for sale but this is definitely not my plan. I also plan to make the mould available to professional builders.
The proposed charter will prohibit me or other amateur builders from producing FRP Sabres on the pretence that it will protect the value of professionally built FRP Sabres. As far as I can see the only way the value of a professionally built boat could negatively affected is if Myself or other amateur builders build a superior Sabre. As the shape can only be as the mould allows and materials are already restricted the only way I could build a superior Sabre would be through skill. I do not see how I could possibly build a better boat than Brett from YMS.
I also believe that the Sabre was intended to be an amateur built boat and to place this type of restriction on the Sabre class will only lead to the class becoming just like nearly every other class. Do we want a class that is dominated exclusively by high price professionally built boats?
Please post your thoughts on this only keep the discussion about part 8 of the Proposed Sabre Charter. I would also love to hear from the authors or those that proposed the charter.
Play nicely people.
Craig