I discovered this on The Marine Quarterly website: http://www.themarinequarterly.com/2011/10/
Too many satellites, not enough fun
Posted on October 25, 2011
Somewhere between Sicily and Malta under a big roof of stars we were designing a new kind of yacht race. It would be sailed in one-designs, so there would be no advantage for rich owners. And navigation would be done only with equipment on the boat – logs, compasses, sextants, all that. Satellites and radar would be outlawed. Seats of the pants would be encouraged, and judgement would be by brain rather than ARPA and its descendants.
It’ll never catch on.
To say it resonanted would be a masterpiece of understatement. I worry, of course, about the size and complexity of these one-designs and, in spite of the fact that 'seat of the pants' thinking would be encouraged, I doubt the designers would be able to think outside the circle sufficiently flexibly to advocate junk rig for its efficiency, simplicity and safety. But it's a start - and an extension of the gloriously-Corinthian Jester Challenge.
We do not need big boats and lots of money to go sailing. Anywhere. Sailing books and articles should be about people and their boats, not money, marinas and meals out. We do not need satcoms, a watermaker or a chart plotter. We should be allowed to be responsible for ourselves, not be made to spend money on rescue equipment. We should buy our own adventures and not beg: aka sponsorship. We can have a small, inexpensive boat, but a vast, wealthy life! DOWN WITH CONSUMER CRUISING!
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