Sue, if that's your real name, I wouldn't describe a H16 as a 'crappy production boat' well, not unless you were referring to the quality? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> H16s are BRILLIANT boats! They are simple, fast(ish) and sooooo much fun to sail! I can't think of a time when I haven't enjoyed a sail on a H16. Honest truth!

However, to use a H16 as an example of boats being equal within a class is a classic mistake. Show me five H16s and I'll show you 5 different weights with a range of 5Kg plus between them. Hell, I knew of a newish (2001) H16 that had one hull almost 2Kg heavier than the other! and it was like that from new.

Getting so wound up on weight is just not sensible. F16 is a boxrule class, the boats are not identical, that's the point! We set max and min dimensions as appropriate, if your boat fits into the box and is above minimum weight you can race as F16. An optimised F16 should be built to the maximum and minimum tolerances but in practice that is difficult to achieve and that is how it should be. Having said that, the latest -2007 onward- VWM, Stealth and FCA boats are within a couple of kilos of or even slightly below minimum and require corrector weights. If you want to get right down to minimum weight with a design(since that is your fixation) you may well have to sacrifice some hull volume as that equals less laminate area but that will affect your performance in some conditions. You wouldn't sacrifice layup or strength as that would be completely pointless. You could save a few kilos in a careful choice of rudder stocks etc. You could decide not to take that 2 litre bottle of water with you when you go out, don't fit a compass etc. etc. A big saving would be a carbon mast - around £800 complete here in the UK. (That's about £200 more expensive than an aluminium one) A relatively cheap upgrade when you look at what the As spend on weight saving.

The point is it's a 'run what you brung' class. No, the boats aren't equal in all conditions (that would be a different type of class, it's called One Design) but without doubt, proved time and time again, the biggest difference between the boats is the people on board. In my 40ish tears of competitive sailing I've sailed many, many different types of catamarans (and dinghies) but I haven't ever had as much (consistent) fun as I've had with my F16. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Oh. BTW I don't know where on earth ANYONE got the impression that the F16 rules were open to discussion or change by a straw poll on an open forum. There is a due process for proposing a change to rules and it has to be well constructed and logical in it's reasoning with sound facts and research to back it up. Not unreasonably, the members then get the opportunity to vote either for or against the proposal - it's called DEMOCRACY.