Forums are great ...
20 years on the river working with safety, in a dozen different countries, I think I should know what I am talking about?
If you look all around the world where there are safe races like this held every weekend, you will see the same rules.
Ok if I allow all types of kayaks into the River Race 2006, the kapell implodes on a swedish "motion" style kayak from a hole or crashing wave. ( This kayak that was never intended to handle such conditions ), and the paddler who just by chance thought a cheap sailing type lifejacket would save his life fails too, due to the fact it pulled over his head, he panicked, took water into his lungs and results in drowning complictaed with cold water immersion (hypothermia), its the race organiser, (me) left with some very serious issues and worse a dead competitor.
I think we do a great job organising safe races, and in 10 years have not seen a serious accident yet (touch wood), so maybe these rules that dont suit your style of paddlinbg or kayak model are some of the reasons for this, sorry but its a fact.
I personally dont really care what kayak people prefer to paddle, I have close friends who prefer VKV. I just want that they all enjoy paddling safely, that is what my lifes ambition is all about and hence the name "Kajaktiv" evolved.
But when some one states that a Glassfibre kayak is faster that plastic kayaks I would like to have the chance to say " hang on a minute thats not the reallity and is a false generalisation in this example".
Receiving royalties or being on a salary all adds up to the same result, Hans you have a financial relationship with Trapper, but if I were to do the same thing about our kayaks as you do I would be shot down in flames by those who read the forums. You dont hear me saying glassfibre kayaks are great till you hit that one rock that sinks your chances of finishing the race (but every year this happens often in the training trips the day before)?
So Gunnar come on dont give me this for organising great races, thats really not on. If you dont like the rules make your own races, I would be more than happy to see more events, just make them safe events.
The rules for RR2006 will be the same. For ÅEC we are discussing a qualification idea soon so other kayaks may be eligable depending on the paddlers ability, but this is just an idea at this stage.
See you on the water. :->