I still wouldn't care if the F18 class was producing 100.000 new boats every year.

F16's are not F18's and that is actually by intent !

I also don't really understand Macca's anxiety. If anything F18 class has been selling the same numbers of boats annually for what, 10 years now ? Didn't make much impact on the F16 creation and growth over the last 6 years so why should we suddenly grow to fear it now ?

Come to think of it. It can just as easily be argued that the F18 is actually following in the footsteps of the F16's (as they should !). We had wingmasts before they did, we had fully battened selftacking jibs before they did, we had carbon rudders and boards before they did, we had cascading downhaul systems before they did, we had lightweight booms with mainsheet strap before they did and we have carbon masts before they do.

Actually, when looking at the situation from that perspective the F16 class has skipped an entire arms race that has been raging in the F18 class for a good 10 years.

When including the Taipan class in this comparison, the superiour technology used in the F16's predates the creation of the F18 class by another 10 years ! Viewed that way, the then newly created F18 class, with 180 kg weight, pin head sails, teardrop shaped masts, non-cascading downhaul, etc was nothing more then a giant step backwards.

And now he want us to follow that example, ehhh benchmark ? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


I say that the F16 class scores another point in comparison by doing it right the first time around !

Wouter