Actually the reason why I put my two cents in the french forum was to specify that the viper was not a F104 but a F16.

In many ways, the F104 is very close to the F16 and in france and UK, I believe that they are well installed. I don't have the number, but I think that there is more F104 in france and UK than F16 in the world... I must add that the class is growing, not declining despite all the rating issue.

I submitted the idea on the french forum than french manufacturer should launch sport catamaran which could be set as a F104 or a F16. My understanding of the catamaran manufacturing is that designing the hull and build the mould is a costly difficult process. I think it should be possible for them to design a hull compliant with both class and they can change the material and the weight of the hull to fit the wishes of the buyer...
That's almost what bimare will do with their new cat.
I think that F16 and F104 has to converge and my opinion is that it should be possible to make the F104 come to the F16. In my opinion, fighting against the F104 in france for now will be pointless...

The first thing is to create a buzz around the class (I'm trying).
The second thing would be to invite some journalist (from multihull for example, which is published in french and english) to try a blade.

If french manufacturers sense that there is a growing interest among the french sailors, they will design such a catamaran. They read the french forum and I think they read magazines.

That was my two cents...


Ciao,
thomas, who don't even have a F16!!!