Stephen,





The F16 idea was formed in the last week of may 2001, that puts us at under 7 years of ago. More like 6 years and 8 months.

Currently, the US and UK alone have over 100 F16's combined. I haven't done a full boat count in roughtly 2 years, but remote places like Finland, Sweden, Norway and China we have 4 F16 boats each and also 3 boats in Dubai. I don't think there were more then 20 F104 boats at the recent French regatta.

Call me stupid but if a major sailing nation like France can't even put more (dissimilar) boats in one starting field then the total number of F16 boats in just Finland, Sweden, Norway, China and Dubai combined then what kind of class do they have in comparison to the F16 class ?

I think the total number of fully compliant F16 boats world wide (not counting the Aus or NZ Taipans) is somewhere between 150 and 200. Of course more and more Taipans in Aus will cross over and that alone is a major potential growth that is not counted yet. Or do you think the F104 will replace the Taipan class in Australia ? I think the F104 won't stand a chance in Aus and when pressured between choosing between F104 or F16 the Aussies will flog to F16, no doubt about that.





Ahh, but here we have the true core of our disagreement. You think that there is much of a chance that AHPC and Hobie/Nacra will hook up and throw their combined weight behind a rival class to the F16's.

I really don't see that happening. In fact it would be foolish of AHPC to even try such a thing as Hobie and Nacra will only see AHPC as a junior partner that they are rather rid off. All that Hobie and Nacra really wanted was to keep selling the Standard Tiger and Inter-18 boats. It was only because of those pesky little companies like Boulogne and AHPC that Hobie and Nacra were forced time and time again to change their F18 models or even design complete new ones. For them that is an expensive proposition and they will always be trailing behind smaller and more flexible companies like AHPC. I'm convinced that they will see a junior partner like AHPC that way. Although if such a situation would come to pass they would play along long enough for the juniour partner to blow up the F16 class and then pull the plug while having rid themselves of two competitors at the same time. Meaning the F16 class and the junior partner itself who has to recouperate its investments on its own in a collapsed class.

From a political point of view it will be much wiser for the F16 class to stick to its guns and bases and not let such a junior partner have any significant influence on the F16 class. Meaning, stick to the 107 kg minimum weight and see the "junior partner" trying to convince the big builders that it actually has anything to offer that they are interested in. Comparing the standing of the Viper design outside of the F16 class with the very small but yet much more established FX-one and I-17 classes I think the junior partner is overestimating its negociation possition.


But having said all that, I'm not convinced that hooking up with Hobie and Nacra is really AHPC's play here. That is just us here speculating. I think AHPC motives are alot more simple and closer to home, which is the F16 class and their profit margin.

Wouter