[Public-List] Interesting

[Gail DeMoss]

Is this an April Fool?


On 4/1/11 8:43 PM, Jim Davis wrote:
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> Reuters: Oslo, Friday
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> NORWAY is to be the first country to ban full-keel yachts in marinas. But other countries, including Britain and the USA, might not be far behind.
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> Dr. Loof Lirpa, current chairman of the International Marina Owners' and Operators' Association, said in Oslo today that the ban was the result of expensive collisions that caused damage to marina facilities and other yachts.
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> "The committee has known for years that full-keeled yachts are less maneuverable in tight spaces, particularly in reverse gear," he said. "Consequently their accident rate is sky-high compared with fin-keel sailboats and shallow-draft powerboats."
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> Dr. Lirpa said Norwegian insurers had refused to accept any new business from owners of full-keeled boats. "Marina owners cannot be expected to carry the burden of accidents, so they have decided to ban full-keel sailboats from all Norwegian marinas from April 1, 2012."
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> Dr. Lirpa said marina owners from Britain and the USA attending the current annual general meeting of the international association in Oslo had voted in favor of the ban, and would be applying a similar ban in their own countries later this year.
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