Mission
For people of good will to race together for the enjoyment of the sport in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing and in the spirit of rule #2 of fair sailing under ISAF rules –To compete within recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play.

Intent
To race 20-ft catamarans of various design features as a fleet on a first across the finish line wins basis, both in around-the-buoys and distance racing.

Amendments
We wish to keep the rules as simple as possible and rely on the good intent of sailors in accordance with standard safety requirements per sailing rules, required gear, and class principles as stated. Amendments per majority vote of active class members.

Formula 20 Class Rules.

LENGTH - 20 ft one inch maximum (Stern to bow measurement)
BEAM - 8.5 ft –max.hull W L measurement at rest
WEIGHT –MIN boat wt 385 LBS
SAIL AREA – –> MAINSAIL = 210 sq/ft including mast, 53 sq/ft jib, and 270 sq/ft spin


*All measurements per standard current ISAF measurement rules
Roller furlers and main reef points may be used.
All teams to use the same set of sails for a regatta or distance race, but may be replaced if severely damaged to allow a team to continue racing with the permission of race organizers per event racing instructions.
Mainsails are to be within measurement and pattern of, or identical to existing I-20 mains -
All sails are to be commercially available to any and all sailing teams min one month before an event or sails may not be used for that event.
Existing class cat designs will be accepted as listed per mfg. or sailmaker.
Racing will be on the honor system, but any boat may be challenged and checked along with the protesting party also being checked for weight and sail area compliance.


CREW – One or more may be crew. All must be capable of righting from a capsize.

CREW WEIGHT -A class min of 320 Lb. Weight may be carried by lighter teams to meet minimum weight requirements.
BOAT WEIGHT -fully rigged with all attached gear and sails
MASTS May be of aluminum and/or carbon fiber or combinations of non conducting materials in standard section tapered or uniform.
A Max 32 ft length
With-standard wire rigging in any configuration

HULLS - Any standard material or configuration
BOARDS - Any standard material or configuration
RUDDERS– Any standard material or configuration
SPIN POLES –A maximum 14 foot length may be used made of any material in standard configuration with snuffer configuration of any type.
CLASS EMBLEM - The starboard side of the mainsail MAY carry the Open -Formula-20 logo of racing Formula 20s along with individual sail number for scoring purposes.


Dispensation
Older existing designs may be given dispensation per F-20 committee by owners request in design feature trade offs.
Example = an existing heavier mast rig and standard class smaller mainsail in compensation for larger spin area, again only applied to older existing designs per owners request.

4 catamarans are currently F-20 -The Inter 20 -F-20 Storm -UK -- Ventilo 20 -8.3 beam 385LB version and Hobie Fox -
Several others are US Formula 20 compliant per dispensation or can be modified up to max specs.
The Nacra 6/0 w NE kite -Hobie 20 -Mystere 6/0 -
PLUS ANY 20FT range cat could be modified to fit the US FORMULA 20 rule as proposed ,-ARC 21 coverted to 20 ft L -
the P-19 - Several other EXISTING 20s could also race F-20 provided they comply by meeting standard Length Beam Weight and sail areas as specified which are all identical and based on the US version Inter 20s specifications .

UK Catsailors site has this link to Formula 20 racing
http://www.catamaran.co.uk/IF20/IF20.htm

It would be great to have some of the past UK and Euro teams enter next years Tybee 500 AS WELL as THE aussie teams already committed plus numerous US sailors now sailing -racing Hobies -N-6/0S -Mysteres -H-Foxes -and Arc SC 20S --P-19s plus others .
These added potential cats in Formula 20 ACCOMODATE a broad spectrum and class of 20 sailors that include potential factory and dealer involvement in the event and in larger context ,-more in the sport of catamaran racing just as F-18 has helped accomplish as per now accepted Formula 18 Tiger and Nacra F-18S plus NUMEROUS OTHERS -.
Formula 20 also similarly consists of an easily recognizable class based on tried and true Formula and box rule concepts of the same LENGTH WEIGHT BEAM AND SAIL AREA as it's basis ,-
sail 6000 -7000-8000--or is it 8500 now
Carl

INTER F-20 http://www.boatshow.com/Inter20.html

HOBIE FOX F-20 http://www.fastlanesailing.com/hobiefox.html

STORM 20 F-20 http://www.catamaran.co.uk/IF20/pics%20page.htm

ventilo 20 F-20 8.3 BEAM 385 VERSION http://www.ventilo.ch/

HOBIE 20 http://www.hobiecat.com/sailing/models_miracle20.html

NACRA 6/0 http://www.boatshow.com/Nacra6.0na.html

PRINDLE 19 http://www.boatshow.com/Prindle19.html

ARC 21 mod to 20 ft w 32 ft mast req. -
http://www.aquarius-sail.com/

MYSTERE 6/0 -8.5 beam version
http://www.boatshow.com/Mystere60.html

plus -ANY 20 ft -compliant F-20 cat

Excellent!!!

Now all we need is something to identify theses rules as different from the european F20 rules (if they are different) and get a few people to put the class down on their racing forms (like F20-US) and submit it to US Sailing for a portsmouth number, yes this might be counter intuitive however with out a porstmouth number we cannot campain the class in regattas with less than 5 boats or in regattas that are stuck in their old ways of only honoring hobie classes (I have been in a few, 5 inters and 3 hobie 17, no class for the inters but a first second and third for the hobies).

I will do my part on the Gulf coast to move this revolution forward.

Marc (Radical Anti-onedesign Classism activist) I20 #TBA

i have a really hard time believing that under ANY circumstances, no matter how modified it may be... a hobie 20 would want to race against an I20 on a "first over the line wins" basis.

Not to say it couldn't happen, its just that there are to many years of development difference between the boats.

several of the local Hobie 20 sailors here were willing when I asked them. But these are great sailors and are not so worried about a few seconds of corrected time, they know that in the right conditions they will beat an I 20. there number is 62.4 with just a spin and 62.0 with a square top.
with the I20 at 59.3 you are correct why do it. And the only answer I might guess is why not. If the goal is to sail faster and better than everyone else then what better than to try to sail over the numbers. besides the numbers are calculated not measured, until there is a real number for the hobie 20 w spin and or square top there is no way to say that it is not really faster.

I must agree with Marc. There were many times that I could hang with the I 20's on my H20. Not being an A sailor, they would prevail but the H-20 on it's own is very fast. I had fat head main and spin.

A small and biased comment from an outsider (I live in Europe, and sail a Tornado).

Why do you limit the width to 8.5 feet, on a 20 foot boat? I always tought the 2x1 formula for the relationship of lengthXwidth was believed to be ideal for a cat. You also exclude all Tornado's unless they shorten their beams, which I dont believe will happen.

Both tilt trailers and breakdown trailers works, if it's the trailering width you are concerned about.

Hi Rolf
thanks for the input and question .
It is difficult to draw a definitive line or limit with intent to Formula classifications on catamarans that historically are intended to improve and develop.-
The excellence of the Tornado design originaly built for ISAF selections in the then B-CLASS basic specs. of 20 ft L 10 ft beam ,-for a catamaran Olympic class, has endured through several decades and still provides a benchmark to comparative cat design performance ,-though often can no longer compete upwind and down with a comperable crew on say a Marstom 20 which it 50 K lighter with improved sail plan -all carbon etc etc .

My interest in a Formula 20 class has been with the intent of application to the Atlantic distance races like the TYBEE 500 http://www.sailmax.biz/

This year we had a Marstom 20 racing along with Inter 20s .
The boat was clearly several percentages faster being much lighter ,-plus sail plan etc etc.
When the crew finally got dialed in it simply walked away at any angle it chose -higher with the kite up -or to weather --no contest .
Perhaps this is the future of the sport and inevitable path as many catsailors love their new lightweight A Class or similar CFR -lighter T or Marstom type cat with larger beam and lighter weight .

It seems the TYBEE 500 will be an Inter 20 class event next year ,-my hopes and wishes as expressed are that an open class option remain and would be my preference as I,m in the market for a new boat .

Obstructions to a Formula 20 class as proposed are entrenched brand class racing and excellent brand type nationals events which many racing teams gear towards.-
Performance has excellent boat dealerships and reps that support racing and are really great folks but of course have investment in that particular brand as does each type . Also numerous top sailors in classes have invested huge amounts of time -energy and funds into becomming tops in that particular class -{whichever one } and often remain loyal to that brand only and do not wish to change anything or accept other brands or boats .

Perhaps I,m wrong about Formula and should just accept as per ongoing cycle the elapse of current 20s and their competitive cycle and go the way of so many previous dead boat classes and let Darwins theories take effect .

I hope there are events for the new and the TYBEE 500 has an open class with seperate start in 06 .

best regards -good sailing Rolf ,-the T will always hold a place in high esteem in the catsailing world ,--
no worries mate ,-as the Aussies say
Carl Roberts

There are always exceptions to all rules, With F20 it is my most passionate hope that there will be more boats racing as a class than before. In the last 3 years of racing I have yet to race more than 4 (very recent) boats in my class, I travel over 10,000 miles a year to race but still there is only very recently been a trend towards the I20. There are about 20 Hobie 20s in the region with at least 5 at a time at most regattas. about 4 N 6.0s with one avarage. there are almost no Tornados at any of the regattas I have been to in 3 years. (one at one race). So excluding such a small minority is not much of an issue. (I have not seen a Tornado entered in the Tybee,or atlantic 1000 but I might have missed the one or two that have.) maybe there could be a F20ht class. But one thing at a time for me.
As far as europe and the world vs. the US. well if we get a class going here and it takes off then if anyone wants to come play we can try to work them in at the time. but it is an impediment to movement to try to make it work for everyone before it works for us,(not US ).
another issue is the Hobie 21,(with HS) I think it could and should race F20 but then again that would be up to the skipper if he wanted to shed the numbers advantage.