49-er,

of course everything I say and do can be placed in a framework of perceived unending hate but do you really believe that yourself ? I'm not that kind of monster ! (joke)

From memory the HT class was setup between Ventilo, Bim and Marstrom to produce high performaning catamarans that could race eachother. If anything this is much closer to a formula class (hence the name given to it) then a development class in the order of the original LAC C-class and A-class. It is not just me, that is the way the HT class started halfway throught the 90's.

It may well grow into something else and closely approximatie a pure C, B, and A class rule setup but what's the point in introducing as "slightly smaller" B class format when the B-class is perfectly suited to begin with most resembling the original LAC format. Why, start on just a one-design format in the first year. Wouldn't everybody concur that the LAC was very much about designing a better boat than your competition. Maybe more than half the challenge was better designing. But the choice has been made.

You ask what is so different about the B-class :

Well

-1- It allows the tornado to defend its rep and does not exclude it by definition. Some goes to other boat designs; we all know the F18's are the boats to beat in high winds and the if20's are darn fast in the lighter stuff. Most of the LAC was also about getting the best platform for the expected conditions as the bigger AC is and was.

-2- There is no doubt that a wider boat would be faster in the higher windstrengths. We talking about the LAC here right ? The best of the catamaran design.

-3- B class has no minimum weight; just like the old C-class of the LAC. If Stewarts info is good than the new C-class challenger weights in just above 300 lbs. We already now a B-class cat can be made for as little as 108 kg's (marstrom M20). Weight reduction was a major development in both the A's and C's and contributed heaily to improved speeds. Much more development is promised in this field by example of the M20.

-3- The B-class sets only limits on max sailarea (2 sq. mtr. than the F18HT ex spi) max length and max width. Apart from that everything goes. HT class sets additional limits on which sails to use, mastheight, alignment of the hulls (parallel; no toe in or toe out), it sets a shape limit on the spi and once I even read about a rule which limited where the stays could be fitted to the mast. Now there is even talk of disallowing wingsails, which by the way the current rules allow. But at the time the rules also allow only one design of one specific designer to be used. Great for him, but in all honesty this not comparable to A, B, C class rules and much more comparable to a SMOD class. The last rule pretty much assures no development in the first year, something that we have come to expect from the LAC.

I would like to add the A-cat class itself has removed herself further and further away from the original A-class rules too. Limits on mast cord or disallowing hydrofoils were never part of the original A,B,C,D, class concept and are much more closely related to formula consideration of equaling overall performance to enforce equal changes to sailors. The F18HT does resemble the A-class closely but development in those two classes have closed down considerable and even been knowingly limited by additional limits.

These are just objective considerations which eerybody may check for himself, if you want to call this "disdain" then that is fine with me. Fact of the matter remains that the LAC was characterized by pure and unlimited development and that both the A-cats and F18HT class are increasingly limiting this developement. For reasons of survival I expect both classes to disallow wingsails at some time in the future. This was my point in my original post.

But you are correct that anyone could have expected such a reaction of me to this announcement as these are exactly the same reasons which underlie the rules in the formula class that I'm involved in. To me these issues are undeniable and have been proven over and over again in the past and have been excellent described by researchers like Bethwaite and that guy of NASA in the 1950/60's) whose name I just forgot.

One correction is in order; In the foreseeable future the LAC will be exclusively raced on Javelin 2's. After that mabe the F18HT format although there is some rumour that the committee may choice different platforms per event. Maybe we can even hold the LAC on H16 one time ? If i were the owner of cogito I would refuse to give up the cup unless any new platform decided upon by the committee raced against cogito and has beaten it. I would assume that that is the right of the victor of the last challenge.

Indeed, Stealth marine is designing a F18HT or rather a 3 mtr. wide F18HT alike platform which they will cut down to 2,5 mtr for the US market. Flyer lists his development of a F18 above a F18HT and Boyer is currently designing/building exclusicely Capricorns F18's, Taipans and A-cats.

Naturally this may all change in the future but I expect the chances for this to be very slim when the LAC is limited to only javelin 2's. There is not much that other designers can do to participate in the short term is there. This while they can enter into the F18's class and race in it at any time of their chosing.

But more remarkably co-founder of the F18HT class and 2000 , 2001 EU champion boatyard Ventilo is excluded from this honour in the first year. Their design is older than the javelin 2 by years but still they are not allowed to enter the new LAC challenge. Why ? Why exclude sailor who want to bring their own Ventilo's ? Doesn't Ventilo design and yard deserve as much of the honour and positive feedbacks of the new LAC as the Bimare javelin design and yard ?

Now I may have special relationship with the HT class but with a precedent like this do you really think other builder prefer investing into a HT platform over a F18 platform ?

I think this is highly unlikely.

Anyways, my main point still stands.

"for class specific reasons the development in the new LAC will be actively limited (SMOD, disallowing wingsails, etc) or the old HT formula format will be lost to wingsail introductions and other old C-class technics that will result in significant inequalities among boats."

Please react to the points layout and not merely to me assumed bias in this issue.

With kind regards,

Wouter