The discussion in this thread is just to interesting to ignore !
Allow me to run by each point in chronological order
When I was thinking about getting an A cat last year, one of the guys mentioned the possibility of a 200lb. class. The idea was to keep cost down and to keep the classes "home builder" roots.
Is that possibility still alive?
Yes, and it is called Formula 16.
I think it would be possible to build a Ply hull with carbon beams and masts boat pretty close to 165 lbs.
But it will be not be as dependable and strong as the modern 26.000 bucks A-cats. 3 mm ply and skimming big time on the bulkheads is making these timber boats pretty sensitive. The difference between a 3 mm timber skin (A-cat) and a 4 mm skin (F16) is very significant. The latter will feel and be twice as stiff and resistant against damage from sideways loads.
Second point is what we should be discussing is not purchase price, but yearly cost of ownership.... You only have one sail to buy and they last along time if you use an older sail for practice. New mains with battens run about 1500$ delivered. Compared to a spinnaker equipped boat the sail replacement costs are cheap and you get great sails.
What a BS ! I can get a fully rigged F16 for what ? 15.000 USD tops. The A-cat will be 20.000 that means I can replace my 1500 USD main twice and also have two 800 USD replacement spinnaker and still have 400 USD left in my pocket for a replacement jib before I reach the A-cat retail price with only 1 mainsail. Making almost 3 suits of sails again only 1 mainsail on the A. How much time will this cover, 10 years ?
After 4 years of sailing I'm still on my first mainsail and spinnaker. And every class will "do a long time with a main if you are only using your old main for practice". That argument is not in anyway unique to the A-cat class.
And of course only the A-cat boat get great sails delivered by sailmakers, the rest of us just have to make do with good or acceptable sails ! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Wouter
