OK, I'm about to order a new headsail, and the quotes I've got include application of sail numbers. Question is, what number to use? My mainsail is bare.

I see many numbers that have a prefix that relates to a club (eg RQ, or like my old genoa, MH). So I guess I could speak to my local club (I think I'm still a member!) about getting a number allocated. In this case would it be registered somewhere? State or National? And I suppose this would this cost some money...

I'm not an enthusiastic racer, so that's not really a factor.

Who can give me "Sail numbers in Australia, 101"?

TIA

QLDCruiser said...
OK, I'm about to order a new headsail, and the quotes I've got include application of sail numbers. Question is, what number to use? My mainsail is bare.

I see many numbers that have a prefix that relates to a club (eg RQ, or like my old genoa, MH). So I guess I could speak to my local club (I think I'm still a member!) about getting a number allocated. In this case would it be registered somewhere? State or National? And I suppose this would this cost some money...

I'm not an enthusiastic racer, so that's not really a factor.

Who can give me "Sail numbers in Australia, 101"?

TIA

Your yachting association in your state provides them
cost about $250 for next available
Goes up from there

My main has 371 on it but i have no idea where it came from

Regards Don

I just used 34 on my new sails as the old number was MH73 which didn't seem too lucky

Thanks AUS 005 - I'm an honorary life member of an WNSW/AWA affiliated association so my number should certainly not be culled - I'll drop them a line as it appears I have dropped off the system. AWA took over from AUSA as the national body and my belief (as someone who was on the AUSA committee very early and an WNSA/AWA delegate/committee member) was that initially they were going to maintain the AUSA system of life-long sail numbers anyway.

EDIT - the website now says "Life ownership of a number is revoked". I can understand AWA's position and knew of it, but for various reasons I've never been comfortable with it - people paid for those numbers thinking a deal was a deal. By a complete coincidence my assigned number was that of a boat my father (who was killed sailing when I was very young) won championships with and which was on magazine covers, so I've hung onto it ever since for sentimental reasons.

Jethrow, thanks, that info was not formerly available. I looked up the YANSW site years ago and they couldn't give me any information about the system, and I got an out-of-state prefix as I intended to move. I'll stick with what I have as I'm no longer in anywhere that gives out numbers AIUI. I still think the $330 fee to request a number, so people don't have to spend hundreds tearing off all their old numbers and replacing them, is not in the best interests of sailing and a blatant rip-off. It's easy for them to say "but it's only $330 + $10 or whatever for each of the 20-30 odd numbers you have to replace, and a few hours playing with metho and stickyback" but to me it seems just another of the many obstacles that the sailing "authorities" are placing in the way of people doing the sport.

As you may recall from years ago, I had a boat when I was young and had the arse out of my trousers. Now I'm established, bald and old and could afford something bigger and shiny I can't be bothered, because so many people in sailing administration and the industry are turning sailing into a ridiculously exclusive sport with dozens of similar surcharges and expenses that the fleets have died and the yachting end of the sport has become something I don't want to be connected with. Two years ago I mused about a Farr Mumm 30 or something and an offshore campaign but there was no point as all the people who used to own 30s have been pushed out of the sport by this sort of nickel-and-diming.

Normally I support YA etc, but to me this goes too far.