I figure if I can make these 8 runners as good as they can be for a variety of conditions I will be pretty well off. However, and I have experienced this more than once, there are days when good angles are very fast and a couple of guys have them in the fleet and it is like they are sailing in another race they get so far ahead. Don and I were having a pretty close race until he switched. I would suggest using the 9 runner limit because we already have it for regattas just extend it to the season. Nothing prevents anyone from building more runners and trying them out in local races for development purposes.
Enforcement is an issue.
But this has always been the case. Maybe each racer could file text description identifying the runners notarized by Nov 1. If damaged can only replace like for like. I think there would be some interesting developments if this were tried. Runners would be shaped for a wider variety of conditions.