8.5 Newsletter #27 - June 2011

· 13 Entries for the 2011 Nationals -the most ever, including 5 GBE's

· 8.5's were the single largest class and also largest division in the BMW regatta

· 14 different boats entered in the Summer Wednesday night series, the most ever.

· 70% the percentage of 8.5’s sailing in the Wednesday night series Multihull division.

· 6 x 8.5's entered the Coastal Classic, the most ever, all finished before it was dark, the first 5 finished in a 10 minute period after 10 hours racing, 30 secs separating the first 2

· 35 out of 37 -the number of first division monohulls beaten on elapsed time by all of the 8.5’s in the last Coastal

· 8hours 1 min 6 sec's 8.5 Attitude's Coastal Classic record

· 17 different 8.5’s raced at some point over the summer

· $35,000-$60,000 median price range for a second hand 8.5

· 25 times more knots per dollar for an 8.5 than a canting 50 footer (arrive in Russell before them)

· 14 crew for a canting 50 footer, 3 crew for an 8.5

· 27.4 knots highest recorded speed of an 8.5

· 3000 hours approx. to home build an 8.5

· NZ$50,000 approx in materials to home build an 8.5

· NZ $200,000 approx for a new professionally built 8.5

· 2 new Boats joined the fleet over the summer

· 3 new boats currently in build in Auckland

· 1 completely refurbed boat new to Auckland to join the fleet over the Winter

· 4 boats currently out of the water for a refit/rejuv in Auckland

· 2 boats sold over the season

· 4 boats currently for sale

· $60 –cost to join the NZMYC and automatically become a 8.5 association member

· $610 spent promoting the class over the Summer season, approx $5000 spent since the rule inception

· $750 value of prizes given out over summer

· $1702 left in the 8.5 kitty

· 3 flippers, a new record for a single season

· 1 T-Bone

· 47 Boats could measure to the rule in NZ, of these 15 are tri’s, 32 cats

· 26 boats are in racing condition, 3 out of Auckland

· 23 boats have been measured to the rule

· 3 = number of Americas cup sailors/designers/specialist consultants that own an 8.5

· 10 = number of yacht designers who want the (irregular) 8.5 news updates

· 127 people on the 8.5 email list

· 1 face book page for the class

· 2 dedicated web pages

· 4579 posts on 281 topics under the Crew.org class forum = 15 times more posts than the next class forum -most posters sail other multi's

· 27 newsletters since 2006

· 740kg lightest 8.5 (7.5m long), 1250kg heaviest

· 5 = number of 8.5’s that went to the Barrier for Christmas cruising

· 60% -percentage of owners of the active racing fleet under 35 years old

· 2004 the year the 8.5 rule was established

· 38 years old - the ‘Great Barrier Express’ design, the starting point for the 8.5 class

· 16 – number of different designs of 8.5’s on the NZMYC gallery page

· 30 images of different boats from the 8.5 fleet on the NZMYC site

· 5 = number of Boating NZ reviews of boats built specifically to the rule on the NZMYC website

· 30 approx - the number of yacht club youth schemers who have been taken out on 8.5’s for ‘try a multi’ days this season.