Ahhh, a dolphinstrikerless setup can be made to work, some of the earlier Stealths had these as well.

The downsides are :

- A heavier boat (by about 5 kg at least, most often by a shy 10 kg)
- Trouble keeping the mainsail leech tight (even with a much heavier beam)

The above two reasons are the causes why any formula based racing boat has a dolphin striker setup or (dolphinstrikerless) carbon beams. However, there are also a good number of examples were carbon beams are also fitted with a dolphinstriker setup for additional stiffness.

These issues became increasingly more important when the craft becomes wider. A dolphinstriker setup scale well to a wider width, a dolphinstrikerless setup doesn't. The latter means that the beams must become disproportionally heavier to maintain the same overall stiffness under mast step load.

I think the Spitfire is the only wide design with a dolphinstrikerless aluminium beam setup. All others are more narrow or use specially reinforced carbon beams.

Wouter