Ok, this is really exciting and only a little talk?

What's the weight, design differences .......????


I know I'm getting a Viper, but any new F16 boat is great for the class!!!!


Mike

I only spoke to Matt briefly. The weight is at or near minimum, the rocker is farther forward than the Blade. The obvious visual difference is hull volume. The Falcon seems to have more volume than either the Viper or the Blade. There is a "hump" (saddle?) that the rear cross bar sits in.

I could not tell any difference in performance. M&G rock regardless of the boat they are sailing!

I couldn't tell any difference in the sails, Glasers, but wasn't really looking.

The Falcon uses a high aspect board.

There are some photos courtesy of Dingram on the F16 website forum, as well as some detail expaining the differences between the 2 designs.

There should be some shots underway when the Tradewinds phots are published, and we will be doing some more set up-tuning and 2 boat testing as soon as the weather warms up.

M

how about posting some here for those who aren't members yet

Here you go.

Remember, it was on the class forum first
http://formula16.net/forum
Directly: http://www.formula16.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=2

https://home.comcast.net/~smalldog266/smalldog266/Pictures/F16_Falcon/DSC_0018.JPG
https://home.comcast.net/~smalldog266/smalldog266/Pictures/F16_Falcon/DSC_0019.JPG
https://home.comcast.net/~smalldog266/smalldog266/Pictures/F16_Falcon/DSC_0021.JPG
https://home.comcast.net/~smalldog266/smalldog266/Pictures/F16_Falcon/DSC_0022.JPG

You can join the forum without being members; you can then post in the public area; members get to see more!!!

In the starting line photo above you may notice there were 4 F16's starting with the F18 class at Tradewinds. This was a change to the original start sequence that had the F16's starting 3 minutes behind the F18's. Matt pushed for this change and he went to every F18 skipper to ask permission first.

Thanks F18 Skippers for allowing us to start with you, I hope we didn't adversly affect your starts or finishes, it was great practice for us since we would have been very few starting alone.

Incidently, there were several F18 Skippers who said they wanted to start with the Inter 20's, so maybe next year we should push the RC to start all the spinnaker boats together?

Tim, please don't assume "more is better" when you're not racing against the "more" because for many it's not better.

If a fleet has the numbers like the 20 class did they deserve their own start. You never see classes with the numbers soliciting the classes with smaller numbers it's always the other way around (in my experience). If you guys hadn’t approached us I would have been perfectly happy starting with the eight we had. It’s hard to look at a friend and say piss off.

For me, getting our own start is a perk for getting the numbers on the line in the first place.

Ding, first thanks for not saying "piss off"

I can see your point, but.... If I was in a the fleet with 40 and there were other boats of "similar" capabilities I would be all for getting them on the line as well.

More boats for me improves the racing. (I do not want something of drasticly differing performance in the mix like adding the Wave fleet) Big fleet starts are something we do not get to have very often and it is the biggest thrill and advange to having a "fleet" for me. Having more boats, is also (IMO) the best way to force one to improve their boat handling skills.

I do not agree with the argument about getting run over or up by another boat that is not being scored with you. On the line you are forced to race everyone and the guys who win regularly will still come out ahead with more baots, and developing those skills (or any skills) is why I race. Name a race besides a 1 design or class nationals where there are not other boats on the course that may or may not effect your outcome in a race wheter it is on the starting line or not. The Waves were not starting with us at Tradewinds, but I know they effected me on a number of occasions, and Mike Hill even a bit more. Dodging boats is all part of the tactics same as missing crab pots and trying to pick shifts.

This may not be everyones opinion obviously, but I go to regattas for the social aspect, but I race becuase I am trying to learn more every time I am on the boat. The moment I have quit learing, I am done. The more boats on the course the more it is mixed up and the more there is to learn.

Matt, we've had this debate before and neither one of us have changed our position, kind of like that drill baby drill thread or the change the rating system thread.

In all honesty if you guys had more than 4 boats I would have problaby said no thank you. Bottom line, if the fleet I'm racing in has decent numbers and for me 8 is decent then adding fleets I'm not racing against doesn't enhance the experience for me. I have to race mixed fleets most of the of the season, I'd like to have a couple of regattas were it's just one fleet and for me it's Tradewinds and Spring Fever.