Enjoy the good press the 18ht has brought to catsailing. Why bash another class, just to make the 18ht look better? These boats are not an "either or" situation.
You're welcome to your opinion. But if you make a public statement, aren't I welcome to give mine? Especially if you say something negative about a boat that, frankly, I might have a little bit of experience with?


I just don't want people to get the idea that the F16's are just some shorter, slower version of the 18ht's - the differences are intentional, and the boats are designed for different purposes.
You may be right - boats designed for 2 guys may be the wave of the future.
But without lightweights, women, and people without crews, that sounds like a much smaller future. I hope you're wrong.

I'm not sure what you meant when you said "not like other boats cannot do the same" -
Which other lightweight spin. boats allow doublehanded crews to be competetive at weights under 310, and allows for sailing (all class legal) singlehanded w/spin? I know of none with all of this going for them. Which of these aspects is unimportant to you?

You chose to bring the F16 class into this (not sure why, nothing in the Sailing world article said anything about them), and to do so in a negative light. Therefore I chose to answer. Why so surprised?

I'm certain that you meant nothing but the best for the F16 class, and that you in no way meant to discourage people from taking an interest in the class, but honestly, I've gotten tired of hearing people who've never sailed/raced the boats bash them.
I hope that you can understand that, and take my comments in that light.


Re. the weight thing: Wow - the 18ht can "handle" crew's a mere 40 lbs heavier than mine, and the ideal is "only" about 55 lbs above mine. How does this mean they are going to be better for us 275 lb'ers? Why do you assume that lighter teams are competetive on the 18ht's, when even the importer has said the boat likes weight (330-340)? Reality check - light IS 315 on those boats. Boats have competetive weight ranges. I have yet to speak to anyone who has sailed an 18ht who said they thought 275 was anywhere near ideal for that boat. Some people might be willing to make a compromise and sail the boat at less than "ideal", in the same way heavy teams have sailed H16's for the sake of competition. That doesn't mean they aren't at a disadvantage.
How many have you seen race them at 275? How many female 18ht owners are there? What's good for the goose is good for the gander, man... if the extra sail area and waterline allow heavy teams to be competetive, great. But it also puts lightweights at a disadvantage. This isn't a bad thing about the 18ht's, it's just one of the things that defines who their sailors will be.

The f18ht's are all-out race boats, meant for two strong, moderately heavy people. That excites the hell out of me, and I'd love to crew on one.
But those really important advantages don't necessarily make them an ideal boat for a lightweight husband/wife team or for sometimes-singlehanders.

Why not accept that different boats are better at different things?

Thanks,
Hope you don't take offense... I really am just trying to set the record straight.
Michael Coffman
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