So, are you saying that if a cat is raced in a distance race as Uni on day 1 it should also be raced Uni on day two? What if the crew is hurt? Or has child care issues, or has to go to work, etc?

Here's the problem, as I see it. We all have different issues to deal with, so somedays we can race two up, some days we can't find crew or crew has been hurt from day 1, etc. We still want to race, as it's hard enough to get the days off to race in the first place, so having your boat there, set up, fee paid and ready to go, then the crew bails on you, for what ever reason, just plain sucks.

I would prefer to get as many boats out onto the race course as possible, all days, regardless of crew issues, to include F18's and Inter 20's being sailed Uni if it comes to that, conditions permitting. But there is no -Uni- number for a F18 or I20, that I am aware of, is there?

Maybe there should be, as you can certainly sail them that way weather and skill permitting. Is there a P-number correction for no-jib + no-crew? I would much rather come up with a P number adjustment than keep boats off the course due to lack of crew.

Now, if instead the -issue- is trying to game the system by using crew on a windy day and then not using crew an a light air day, well, I am still undecided on that, since I believe the F16 Uni number should be a bit higher than the Sloop number, due to the lack of hands during a spinnaker take down on a windy day, but it is not and the Uni pays the price on a windy day, so they should be able to make it up on a non-windy day, or do it both ways, crew in wind, none for light.

So in theory, by having the same P number, we are saying there is no speed difference between Uni and Sloop. And if that is true, then it shouldn't matter to anyone who accepts that they are rated the same, in which configuration the boat is raced, from race to race or day to day.

But we both know that is not -politically- acceptable to some other classes who do not have that "flexibility" in their rules and ratings. It's not even acceptable to most of the F16 sailors here. I personally have no problem with it as I would prefer to see as many boats on the starting line as possible, even an F18 sailing Uni. The F16 class is not big enough yet to really split into Uni vs. Sloop, but maybe some day there will be enough of both to score them together and as separate fleets.