MisterMoon's post with questions and answers is a great example of what I will be looking for when doing a Skills Assessment on a class 4 or class 5 boat. His other posts are also making good points.
Of course, others made some good points and asked good questions too so let me address those issues.
First, I'll address the load issue. Any boat that is overloaded will not be allowed in future WaterTribe events. Moose's point about two guys weighing in at 200 pounds or more in a TI with a load limit of 600 pounds yielding 480 pounds of usable load is a great example. They have 80 pounds available for gear, food, and water. Two gallons of water for each weighs 32 pounds leaving 48 pounds for gear and food. Is this reasonable? Maybe, if you think like a backpacker. Maybe not if you can't pair it down, but it is required. If you can't keep the total to 480 pounds, you have two choices. Lose some weight or get a bigger boat.
It's a bit easier in an AI. I weigh 200 pounds myself. The new AI can handle 350 pounds which yields 280 pounds of usable storage. So I have the same 80 pounds for gear, food, and water that the TI allows. But it is only for one guy. No problem.
In previous years I have seen Hobie AIs and TIs overloaded all the time. They have stuff inside, on the tramps and piled up on the cargo area. Some guys on the internet look like they are carrying enough for an army. All WaterTribers will be checked for overloaded boats in all classes.
One final thing on load limits. Almost every boat out there has a published load limit. Every designer has to think about this. If you think yours doesn't, keep looking.
Bottom Line On Weight: Check your boat and weigh your stuff.
Second, I'll deal with lowering or unstepping your mast. This has to be done on the water. If you need to bring your boat into shore to perform this task, your boat is too large. This is an intentional filter to keep really large boats out of these small boat events. That doesn't mean you can't come to shore and lower your mast during an event. But you can't do that during your Skill Assessment.
Does this involve some risk? Yes it does. Lowering or unstepping your mast while on the water involves lots of risk. Nobody ever said these events are safe. They are not safe. You could get hurt or killed. If that scares you, you should not enter these events. Look at the Warning and carefully read the Waiver.
Bottom Line On Lowering or Unstepping Your Mast: If you can't easily do this on the water, you need to get a different boat for these events or don't enter these events.
Third, I will deal with capsize and recovery. This is fairly easy for classes 1, 2, and 3. It gets more difficult for classes 4 and 5. The smaller your boat the easier this is going to be - usually. Due to the possibility that your boat will be damaged in a capsize, we will not ask you to actually capsize most class 4 or class 5 boats in the Skills Assessment.
Instead we will ask you to demonstrate certain skills that are used during and after a capsize. Can you get back in the boat easily? Does your boat have enough flotation? Is the flotation located properly within the boat? Can you bail out your boat? If sails or rudder or other stuff is broken can you get to shore? Can you prevent a capsize by reefing, heaving to, sea anchor, or other means? Have you practiced any of this stuff? If you have video of capsize and recovery, I'd love to see it.
Class 5 can be very difficult or somewhat easy depending on the boat. A class 5 boat with amas and akas that allow easy manipulation while in the water have a better chance to recover from a capsize. Beach Cats and other multihulls that do not provide a way to bring in the hulls or amas can be impossible to get back up if they are turtled.
The Hobie AI and TI allow the amas to swing in. A properly equiped WaterTriber should be able to flip them back up with one ama in close. Can you dive under the boat and roll up the sail while it is pointing the wrong way? If you can't do that, can you dive under and release the sheet so you have a better chance of bringing the boat right side up? If that doesn't work, can you dive under and release the mast so it falls away? If it falls away will it stay attached to the boat? If it is still attached to the boat, does it still prevent righting the boat? If it does, are your prepared to cut it away?
What is the one piece of gear that would help in accomplishing all the tasks listed above? A dive mask stored where it is easily retrieved without getting lost in a violent capsize. But what about your lifejacket? Would you be able to do all the stuff with your lifejacket on? Kind of tough right? I think I will get towing insurance just in case.
Now consider the Beach Cats. Forget it. If they go over you probably will not get them back up. So what should you do. Maybe a Hobie Bob on the mast would keep it from going all the way over. Maybe you should consider it.
What if you have a trimaran that does not allow you to reconfigure the amas on the water? I don't know the answer. If you can't give me an answer, you shouldn't be in these events with that boat.
Again, I'd love to see videos of you practicing this - in a safe and controlled environment of course.
Remember that multihulls are more difficult to flip over but not impossible. When they do flip it is usually very violent and things break. Even if you practice this in a controlled environment it may not work so well after a violent capsize.
Bottom Line for Both Class 4 and Class 5: If you and your boat meet all other WaterTribe requirements but you and your boat cannot reasonably be expected to recover from a capsize without assistance, you must have Towing Insurance that is automatically called using your SPOT Help Button.
OK, I think I've beat that to death and some of you are POed.
) 
. That's exactly what my loyal but grumpy shore crew said. 
