Class Update by the International Musto Skiff Class Association
For nearly six years, the Musto Skiff class has been exploring and debating a move to a new mainsail design. Various prototype designs have been developed and trialled by the class over this period, and in December 2020 the class was asked to vote on continuing the project or closing it for the foreseeable future.
The result of the class vote held in December 2020 saw 60% of the class voting to restart the new mainsail design project. The project was subsequently restarted, and a final design led by Hyde Sails and Ovington Boats was put to the class for consideration.
As part of the most recent Musto Skiff 2022 Annual Class Survey, class members were asked to state their preferred timeline to vote on the proposal to move to the latest mainsail design or maintain the existing mainsail. As a reminder, the two timeline options presented in the survey were:
- Fast track – Class vote in February/March 2023, aiming to implement a new mainsail design for the 2024 Worlds (should the class vote for any change).
- Slower pace – Class vote at the end of 2023, allowing more time to test the new mainsail, then aiming to implement a new mainsail design for the 2025 Worlds (should the class vote for any change).
The Musto Skiff Class Association can confirm that most class members voted for the FAST TRACK timeline option, with results at the close of the 2022 survey as follows:
- 68% in favour of a fast-track approach
- 32% in favour of slower pace approach
(Source: Musto Skiff 2022 Annual Class Survey Report)
Next Steps
Based on the results of the 2022 survey, a date has now been set to vote on the new mainsail design. This vote will be a simple YES or NO vote to determine if the class wants to proceed with adopting the new mainsail design, as developed by Hyde Sails and Ovington Boats, or maintain the existing mainsail.
Should the class members vote in favour of adopting the new mainsail design, plans will be put in motion to produce and implement the new mainsail design in time for the 2024 Worlds, which will be hosted at Weymouth in the UK. If the class does not want to change over to a new mainsail, this project will be closed, and the class will maintain the existing mainsail.
When Will the Vote Open and How Can Class Members Vote?
The new mainsail vote will be open from 9am (GMT) on Monday 27th March 2023.
From this date, class members can vote on the new mainsail proposal using the following online link: https://questionpro.com/t/AP0CqZw6Xn
Voting will be open for 5 weeks, closing on Sunday 30th April 2023 at 5pm (GMT).
It is important to note that you must be a Musto Skiff life member or a current class member (2023 season) to participate in voting on this class matter. The class association is urging class members to ensure that their membership fees are up to date before voting, or their vote will not count.
If you are new to the class, or you have not yet renewed your class membership fees, you can find more information on how to pay for your class membership in your country on the class website: https://mustoskiff.com/class/membership/
Where Can I Find Out More About the New Mainsail Design Project?
The new mainsail design has already been shown and test sailed at the 2022 Worlds event in Germany and the 2022 UK Nationals. These have also been shared with different fleets in Europe to enable as many sailors as possible to view and test the new mainsail design.
For UK sailors, the new mainsail design will also be on display on the Musto (N12) stand at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show 2023 this weekend over 25 and 26 February. Find more details about the show here: https://www.rya.org.uk/events/dinghy-show
In addition, the latest update on the new mainsail project, including previous articles, class member feedback, and videos of the new mainsail in testing, is available on the class website here: https://mustoskiff.com/musto-skiff-new-mainsail-design-project-overview/
The Musto Skiff Class Association looks forward to receiving votes from every class member and will endeavour to communicate the results in early May 2023 once the voting has closed. The results report for the Musto Skiff 2022 Annual Class Survey will be released to the class and wider sailing community in early March 2023.
Article Updates:
12/03/23: The Musto Skiff 2022 Annual Class Survey is now available to view here >>
16/04/23: Mainsail comparison video added
