I agree with both the above comments. The purchase of a Viper strains or exceeds the financial resources of the smaller clubs, and that's just for one. Obviously, to be competitive you need at least two for trial racing - completely out of the question. It also strains or exceeds the talent pool of the smaller clubs - let's face it, you need some pretty sharp, fit sailors to race a Viper. Smaller clubs just can't put together half a dozen or so for a team, with enough free time to learn all the little tuning tips and techniques necessary to race with the big clubs. Not helping is the fact that it's just a pain in the butt to rig, launch, and retrieve a Viper.

All in all, this whole deal has turned into another case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. I think it would be great if the Jr. Liptons were sailed in 420's, and hopefully that might help participation. Now as far as Capdeville, I doubt the answer will be that simple.