What a load of old bollocks Macca, you of all people know how production boats are built, you of all people know that on modern hull designs weight is not the factor it once was, you of all people know that we have been here before and discussed this very issue at length with the out come being, get your "rule change" into print and let the members vote. After all you were promoting that you had a F16 cat and could be a voting member.

I am really not sure raising the weight is to going to help any manufacturer anyway, the Viper is a seriously fast boat within the F16 class even if it is a few kilos " porky ", so if you already have a very saleable item that is doing well then why change it.

Anyway we all know it has over strength / weight beams, dagger boards and rudder systems designed for its F18 sister, perhaps when the volumes come up a little those items could be slimmed down with little loss of strength and reliability and indeed it would be an even greater boat, just gone on a diet.

What my beef mainly is though that Sproat has chosen the soft option of taking the soft handicap, I certainly would consider ballasting up my boat to gain the soft handicap as it really peeved me to be so far ahead of the F18's in the 3 Piers race and then be way behind them on handicap. They of all boats have a real soft handicap in my opinion.

Mind you it does tell us that the weight factor in the handicapping ratings is now out of skelter with the modern hull design, I'm sure Simon will argue against that but from where I sit the manufacturers making over weight porky boats are being given a huge advantage over a manufacturer who is more weight conscious.