I was able to go out of Claremont ramp at Long Beach w/ John Dudash Friday, 3-28. It was a perfect day, sunny, typical sea breeze, maybe a little light -puffs to 12+kts. Conditions were probably best for an F16. The boat is beautiful, well made and a pleasure to sail. It is basically as described in various posts by experienced sailors. Under conditions sailed, 16'+ length never seemed inadequate. We slightly stuffed a bow slightly once and it behaved well.

Congratulations to Phill, Wouter, et al on working out a world class boat class that is a pleasure to sail, competes across a broad spectrum of conditions, i.e. 1 or 2 crew, lake/ocean, etc. From catsailing and landsailing for 20 years I would say you can't get more boat for your money, and is user friendly for recreational sailor to racer.

I feel compelled to write in behalf of the boat and class about 2 arguments proposed and expanded at great length by those that should be experienced enough to know better and may discourage those that are interested from getting an outstanding craft that will be competitive for a long time.
The rules are well written and allow improvements to the boat and class without outdating present craft. No sensible sailor is going to pay two to ten times as much to build a boat out of exotics to get it down to absolute minimum weight for the least possible competitive edge that money could buy. And if I wanted to do build it down to the minimum weight for my own convenience, I can. The class would most likely benefit if some members did, because it would easily be shown that the small amount of weight saved did not make them appreciably faster (but it might make the boat better handling). The worst case would be if a rock star came in with a 'super boat' and cleaned up. We instinctively look at the boat as the reason for the speed, but as has been explained on these forums, it is the sailor and the sails that make the boat faster than its class competitors. A rock star would know that but use his sponsorship and reputation to sell boats or kill the class. This is just like 'more flow through the slot', it is quicksand that sucks in newbies and some not so newbies and just refuses to go away.

John Simpkins met with us and rigged his Marstrom A, then broke a rudder latch as soon as he pushed off. So I didn't get to try the 'ocean liner' of A cats. It appeared that the 2 boats have similar hull volumes, giving the shorter boat a bit more freeboard. I love freeboard. It appears that no one is willing to sail the Marstrom with a crew of 2 except Hakan, and w/ John Simpkins equipment failure, all I have been able to do is confirm the other reviews of the Blade for myself.

I may eventually get an F16, but I came away with the sense that if this can be done with a 16' boat, that properly optimized, an 18' could handle/perform like a Tornado. Yeah, it would cost a bit more, but I can't take it with me.

Best wishes to a class that is for well designed boats and sailors, not for manufacturers and rock stars. Steve Blevins