Actually Retired Geek (known for his LR2 A-cat) has found a rotomoulded manufactorer in Aus that was able and willing to make a decent lightweight rotomoulded F12. Last news was that they were seriously considering giving it a try. Although a rotomoulded cat will always weight a little more.

And as the F12 was/is basically a formula setup Hobie could come out with a rotomoulded F12 of their own or just buy the building license.

Some of us were actually quite far with the F12 project !

I also had another idea.

Take a look at this :

http://www.catamaran.com.ar/news.htm

and click on the RC16 in the bottom lefthand corner. It is glass boat and not a F12 design BUT it goes ready-to-sail for 4500 USD because it is produced in Argentina. Basically we could get such a builder to build cheap glass hulls c.q. boats where the hulls are inexpensive enough to simply be replaced when damaged alot.

I understand the advantages of rotomoulded hull, but in my experience glass hulls don't really have to be very prone to damage either. Also their are other tricks to make the hulls pretty damage resistant.

For those of you who have forgotten, here is one example of a 12 footer youth boat as proposed and worked out by Phill Brander. It is a really good looking boat.





But now back to the main topic of first organising the Youth programs using what ever design is most easily available, because if ever the F12 comes into existants then the switch is easily make quickly enough anyway. The two paths are much more mutuall reinforcing then competing.

Wouter