Eric makes some good points.

I've been discussion with class officials and builders the possibility of getting sailors from several places in the world together and have a race venue.

I've requested info from the ISAF and receives the recognition / int status rules as well as the required fees.

Well even if we had the number of members than the fees would have to be raised too.

By the way,does anybody want to know the rules on it, i can post it on the forum if you want to ?

Anyways I was faced with the same problem and I know the iF20 class was hassled too by the ISAF. So I've been playing around with the idea for a while and came up with this :

We call our event something like :

Global Formula 16 Challenge

It will be held as a Cup event open to all interested sailors from around the globe. When the number of charter boats is sufficient than each regional (USA, EU, AUS, S-Africa, S-Asia) champion is invited to measure his skills against the Global challenge winner of the last time.

Ergo the holder of the cup is invited to defend his possesion of the cup or vacate it for next year Cup event.

Sort of in the same way the USA champion was awarded a free charter boat and lodging for the Taipan nationals.

In addition to these 6 competitors 5 regions (as of now) and the defending crew (6) we will have any number of wildcards to crews bringing their own boats or arranging their boats locally.

Of course the Global challenge winner will have won of the best class sailors from the whole globe who were willing to come ; therefor the status of the cup will be reflected on the participation of the event. In time the number of regions will increase and it will becomes almost identical in status as an ISAF sanctioned World championship. And of course a Cup or challenge event is still a cup or challenge event when the number of participants from one area are heavily represented. Although the idea is to travel the event around.

I've spoken to the builders and in principle they are willing to put the charter boats together. With 5 regions and 3 builders in 2003 (Taipan, Stealth, Blade) I think we stand a good change of heaving enough boats for the invited champs to just fly in and race on a supplied boat.

For the wildcards we'll try to arrange transport and sorts.

Now I don't think that ISAF has a problem with Nationals as then they would have come down on the Taipan class long ago. So we can define that an invitation will be given to the nationals of each region. Regions with alot of small countries (europe) can either hold an Open Dutch nationals or so inviting sailors of all other states or a region could name a single event that will determine who will get the invitation for that region. Defacto becoming an unofficial European championship or something.

I also think the name Global Formula 16 challenge sounds good, just as European Formula 16 challenge and South-Asian
Formula 16 challenge sounds good.

But best of all we can keep ISAF of our backs as it is a Global CHALLENGE and not a Championship nor a Championship of the World. And we can hold on to those annual 1000 English pounds = 1700 US$ and stay independent.

What do you think, any comments, suggestions or remarks ?

Wouter