I agree that the F18ht would be a good option, but before we ditch the A-class double trapeze concept let me present some facts!!!!
One of the boats in ICCT 2004 was a Marstrom A-class (M18) with M20 rig and 40 kg of lead in the mainbeam (to get it to measure as an F18ht) and they handled 20 knots of wind with that "beast" and had good speed on the upwind. If you throw away the lead and sail with 130-140 kg on the wire instead of 150 or whatever Booth and Dereksen weight was, you have a really cool boat. The hull needs to support 215-225 kg instead of 280kg, quite some reduction in weight, and we gain about 5 cm (2 inches) of freeboard.
Booth didn't make it to the finals but the boat stayed in one piece. I'm not sure where that boat is right now.
/hakan
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Action in the International Catamaran Challenge Trophy (ICCT) today was fast and furious, with Mitch Booth (NED) and John Lovell (USA) each taking a 3-1 lead in the Challenger and Defender Series, respectively. With southerly winds reaching 20 knots, the F18HT catamarans were at top speed, completing the four-mile courses in less than 20 minutes with boats speeds approaching 20 knots. In this event, also known as the ‘Little America’s Cup’, these high speed cats certainly outpace anything else being match raced, including IACC yachts.
“In the windier races, we were right on the edge of control,” said local-based favourite Lovell. “We capsized twice, more than usual in all my years of Tornado sailing.” Lovell and crew Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas) flipped once prior to a practice race when they snagged a crab trap, and once again in the second match against rival defender candidate Bob Hodges (Mandeville, La.), which cost him the lead and the match point.
“But the competition is great, we’re having tight racing, and looking forward to tomorrow.”
In the Challenger Series, the Dutch team’s score was also hard-earned, having earned the win in Match One against rivals Enrique Figueroa and Jorge Sanchez when the Puerto Ricans capsized only meters from the finish and lost a commanding lead.
“We’re learning the limitations of the boats in the fresh conditions,” said Booth. “In competition this keen, we’re pushing the boats to its limits. The interesting part of the day was learning where those limits were.”
For tomorrow, Booth says “We’re planning to be conservative to consolidate our position. We appear to be fast upwind, so we want to be first to the top mark and then defend rather than have to attack. But conditions may be different tomorrow, so we’ll have to learn the boat all over again.” This is only the second day Tornado Olympic veteran Booth and his crew Herbert Dercksen have sailed the F18HT.
