I think the biggest difference you'll find is that the F16 is alot more sensitive to sail trim and the positioning of crew weight. This means, it will go very well when everything is set right and may well not go at all when it isn't. The first season you'll be figuring out what she likes and what she doesn't in the way of sail trim. At some point you'll think :"is this all ?" and the answer always is :"No !, you still have a few doorsways to higher speed to find". Certainly the first period the boat can always be sailed 50 % to 100 % faster then you will probably doing. Sometimes it is putting on alot more mainsheet and sometimes it is slacking the mainsheet more. Downhaul and mast rotation can have huge effects as well, often in the way of pointing.

After a while and after discovering the first doorway you'll know what I mean and then you know what to look for with each new doorway. For some people this becomes and addiction.

Basically the I-20 is a power boat, put the peddle down and go. Sailing the F16 is more like dancing, once you get to know your dancing partner and have smoothed out your actions then you can turn, jive and accellerate at will and with great thrill.

Good luck and there are heaps of posts on this forum to help you through the learning curve.

Wouter

Last edited by Wouter; 04/18/07 01:50 AM.

Wouter Hijink
Formula 16 NED 243 (one-off; homebuild)
The Netherlands