Maurizio,

I must respectfully admit that I'm now even more puzzled than before. I've taken the liberty to surf to the handicap rating website specified in the new F16 rules and take a look at the measurements for the Bim 16. There I see a mainsail area measurement of 13,26 s.m. Considerably less than several older 16 foot designs.

Now I would expect a designer to increase the sail area of a design rather than it's mast height when he feels that the boat is underpowered. Or even to add a jib.

Of course a longer mast will also result in more sailpower, why else would the A-cats have gone that way ? But adding, say, 1,3 s.m. area to the main as the Taipan designer did could easily produce more sailpower while keeping the same mast length. Also allowing the class sailors of that time to improve performance without buying a new mast setup. Unless the amount of sail area was limited by class rules, of course. Is that the reason ?

By the way didn't the Taipan designers also start out as A-cat builders ? Howcome they did decide to learn how to build a sloop rigged boat if there wasn't a potential to be realized there ?

As a wise man once said :'Answers often only lead to more questions'

Jack