<HTML><HEAD>
<META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2873" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff">
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 5/15/2006 2:02:39 AM Eastern Standard Time, robertm@sssnet.com writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial size=2>This rule change could also help us return to a simpler less expensive road. Encourage more suppliers to go back to the traditional type construction. If someone wants to be competitive on a world level then they can persue the more complex, higher dollar route. I'm not gonna spend wads of cash on a mega dollar bipe just to win a $5 piece of wood. I'm nowhere convinced they will fly better just because they'll be bigger. The designs available now fly pretty good. </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV>I don't see that happening. Pattern as a descipline will always demand the best available, not just the best any competitor can afford. True that some competitors take the less expensive route, but many if not most will buy the most expensive because of the perceived value. Historically, increased weight always has increased the cost and as much as we bitched about it, we went ahead and payed through the nose anyway. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>MattK</DIV></BODY></HTML>