In a word: Yes.

We can build a very stiff F18 for less money if the total boat weight was 166kg. But with the rules being at 180kg, we just build a super stiff F18 for a bit more $.

How long would it stay stiff?

I'll let you guys in on a few secrets.

1. There isn't much mark up in boats.
2. They actually cost next nothing to make
3. Most of the profits are used to directly fund global terrorism
4. The rest of the profits are used by secret societies to keep things like the JFK assassination and moon landing under wraps.

So only the first one is true, but I kinda like pulling conspiracy theories outta my ass.

So, if catamaran sales fund Terrorism, does that mean that Jet Ski sales fund the Global War on Terrorism?

From what I have seen here on my lake, most of the Jet Skis are being driving by....TERRORISTS!!

depends on how many blue pills you take

but seriously, the general laminate on our boats is so over specced (we use foam that is almost twice as thick as the big builders) that the boats are quite unstressed. We can do this because each boat is built carefully by highly skilled people and there is no mess left inside the hulls and the joins etc are all carefully prepared and finished. In the 166kg build there is really not much difference in the overall laminate. We just put more in there because we had to get the weight up!

I'm not saying that I want the weight to change for the class (i'm in enough trouble with the class already!!) but if we want to reduce cost and improve the longevity of the boats there are some solutions out there.

To build a stiff F18 you need to lower class weight.
To build a stiff F16 you need to increase class weight.

Sure, I'm gullible.

No, those are probably just teenagers.

Or, guys that can't afford real power boats and don't have the intelligence to sail a boat...

Mike

Exploder Tornado for € 15.900 ?

Well, that is not going to be the same as a Marstrom we have come to know over the last 20 years. So I don't understand what Roland is getting at other then trying to confuse the quality of a carbon masted Marstrom with the price of an alu masted Hobie 16 with spi upgrade kit.

We all know that that is rather going to be the other way around. When that happens you basically got an outdated design (hull and boards) with a rig that can easily be put on the other boats as well in the way of costs and performance. Or does anyone really believe that a F16 carbon rig will be more expensive then the larger Tornado carbon rig ?

In my view Roland has become a bit unhinged lately.

Wouter

Now you must die. You have violated the law of the sacred order of catamaran exploiters. Ignore the black helicopters and the men outside your windows. Your termination will be swift and painless.