Personally, I feel that double trapping with 180 kg on the wire in not something the F16's are designed to do. Any well designed F16 should be able to handle any loads that sailing can put it under ; it is just that I don't think that much righting moment balances well with the flexing of the mast.

At some point, high mainsheet tension will only reduce the draft of the sail while also when straighten the leech. These two effects oppose one another in the feel of power. I believe you feel just as powered up but the craft is overall slower just the same.

I feel sailing that F16's (and yes I'm not a world champ) is more about getting the draft profile and twist profile right then about keeping 2 men on the wire. You trim the sail for maximal drive / speed and you go in or out of the trapeze to maintain that sail trim.

Now I don't feel that unless you sail is cut for 180 kg that you can keep 180 kg on the wire and still have the optimal sail trim for performance.

Basically at 180 kg you have 120% the righting moment then a 145 kg crew trapping. If your sail is cut of say 145 kg then going single trap with reduce the overall righting moment to 105% of the 145 kg crew. It is my believe that this matches the shape cut into the sail much better and you'll probably be sailing with a little more draft and a better twist profile.

This has also been my experience on my own boat. Agreed my mainsail has an error up top, but it just performed better with me hiking and my 70 kg crew trapping then when we both went to the trapeze. Back in the time of these experience I was about 90 kg.

Wouter