To all,

I have been reading up on the F104 founding specifications and history and it is basically at the point were the F16 class was during 2001/2002. The official language of the class rules and such is French, this will seriously limit its cloud outside of France itself.

Even more interesting is the absolute similarity between this F104 and the F16. One wonders if these French sailors have ever researched the stuff that has happened outside of France in the last 6 years. Basically they are reinventing the wheel.

One of their "unique" points was defined earlier this year as establishing a class where the same boat can be raced 1-up and 2-up and against one another. Where did I see this concept before ?

Seem BCM(=Cirrus), Mattia, Sirena/Swell(=Spitfire and SL16) and Hobiecat were invited for the meeting where this class was founded.

On the blogs some old falsehood as rehashed again. Like the lightweight boats (F16's) being fragile for ocean going conditions and that that is the reason to have the ready to sail minimum weight at 135 kg. Even with events as recent as the Alter Cup and Global Challenge I think the F16's have disproven that canard beyond any doubt.

I hate to say it but they are setting us all up towards a big confrontation. France going F104 while the rest of world is going F16. In the end there can be only one. The only place still open to both being the UK.

I know it is an impossible thing to ask of the F104 sailors, but we must really ask them to consider not creating a whole new formula class so similar to the F16 and rather join hands and work together to grow the F16 class. The international succes of the F16 is already certain, with the joining of France it is even garanteed to became a major class like the A's and F18's. For the F104 to achieve that on its own is too unlikely with the US, Asia, South Africa, Australia and parts of Europe already going F16. Add to that the fact that AHPC, Bimare, Stealthmarine, Formula catamarans (Aussie Blade) and Vectorworks are are already committed to F16's.


The class rules basically specify as the F104 boats :

No faster rating then 1.04 under SCHRS system where also :

max length 5.52 mtr
max width 2.55 mtr
min ready to sail weight 135 kg

Mast, beams, boom, spi pole etc must all be straight alu sections
Carbon may not be used for hulls, mast, boom, spi pole or beams.

Old spi pole length rule, the "800 mm past bows when layed skewed over the boat" rule that confuses so many people.

All materials not explicetly allowed are forbidden

Then some additional rules very similar to F16 like having no minimum crew weight as long as the crew can right the craft unaided.


I actually wondered why they didn't create a F100 class and have the F16 play with them in the same fleet ?


All this does tell me that Gill was right all along. The F16 class really should make a trip to Eurocat (Carnac) in 2008 and let ourselves be seen in the French scene.

Wouter