While it doesn't bother me if someone has electric halyard winches, stuff like an electrical system that powers hydraulics that adjusts a canting keel, and electric sheet winches doesn't sit well with me. For cruising and daysailing? Hey, fine....not so much for racing. I know that any boat with a canting keel bigger than a mini uses powered systems to run it. That's how it's been for 15+ years, now.
Is more and more automation the "future of sailing"? I'm not qualified to judge. I dunno.
I do worry a bit about dividing up the SSS races into so many classes that we dilute participation.
Singlehanded PHRF <100 - spinnaker
Singlehanded PHRF 101-135 - spinnaker
Singlehanded PHRF 136- 165 - spinnaker
Singlehanded PHRF 166+ spinnaker
Singlehanded PHRF <100 - non-spinnaker
Singlehanded PHRF 101-135 - non-spinnaker
Singlehanded PHRF 136-165 - non-spinnaker
Singlehanded PHRF 166+ non-spinnaker
Doublehanded PHRF <100 - spinnaker
Doublehanded PHRF 101-135 - spinnaker
Doublehanded PHRF 136- 165 - spinnaker
Doublehanded PHRF 166+ spinnaker
Doublehanded PHRF <100 - non-spinnaker
Doublehanded PHRF 101-135 - non-spinnaker
Doublehanded PHRF 136-165 - non-spinnaker
Doublehanded PHRF 166+ non-spinnaker
Sportboat singlehanded
Sportboat doublehanded
Multihulls
Express 27 One Design doublehanded
J-105 One Design doublehanded .. or SF Bay 30, or whomever..
Moore 24 One Design doublehanded
Take 100 boats, divide them into the 22 classes I just listed, which is typical for our races even if I have the PHRF numbers off a bit, and you don't even have 5 boats in a class. Are we going to add the following?
Singlehanded PHRF <100 - spinnaker Power Assisted
Singlehanded PHRF 101-135 - spinnaker Power Assisted
Singlehanded PHRF 136- 165 - spinnaker Power Assisted
Singlehanded PHRF 166+ spinnaker Power Assisted
Singlehanded PHRF <100 - non-spinnaker Power Assisted
Singlehanded PHRF 101-135 - non-spinnaker Power Assisted
Singlehanded PHRF 136-165 - non-spinnaker Power Assisted
Singlehanded PHRF 166+ non-spinnaker Power Assisted
Doublehanded PHRF <100 - spinnaker Power Assisted
Doublehanded PHRF 101-135 - spinnaker Power Assisted
Doublehanded PHRF 136- 165 - spinnaker Power Assisted
Doublehanded PHRF 166+ spinnaker Power Assisted
Doublehanded PHRF <100 - non-spinnaker Power Assisted
Doublehanded PHRF 101-135 - non-spinnaker Power Assisted
Doublehanded PHRF 136-165 - non-spinnaker Power Assisted
Doublehanded PHRF 166+ non-spinnaker Power Assisted
I'm not saying that's "the answer" especially since now in some cases the DH boats are sailing different courses from the SH boats, but is that where we are headed?
1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"