With regard to the F12.

I still believe this approach to be most attractive to solving the lack of (youth) entry into cat sailing.

I typically am not in stong favor of the Hobie wave because Hobie control (or attempts at it) is to big a risk to submit the whole catamaran scene to.

Remember, "whoever rocks the craddle rules the world".

And Hobie has proven time and time again to have a strong desire to play the power game and push others out of the scene. The saying "United we stand, divided well fall" is wasted on them.

Therefore the youth/adult entry class must be class open TO ALL catbuilders and organisations; not just only one. Only an F12 concept can provide that.

Additionally, I feel strongly about make the F12 a fast, lightweight but really simple to build and inexpensive boat. Making it small really helps to reduce the loads as something like an alu tube based unstayed rig would. This would be a major benefit to marketing this design to poorer countries and would allow licenced construction in those places. It is surprising how beneficial not requiring steel wires and custom items like mast steps can be. These things cost and are difficult to source or built in far off poor places.

Additionally, having a simple, lightweight, inexpensive but fast F12 is a great benefit when looking to supply boats to any event. It is a major different when organising to provide 20 boats of 4000 Bucks then 20 boats of 15.000 bucks. Also the costs associated to repairs will be MUCH lower. Especially when using standardized alu tubes for beams, boom AND mast. Sails and trampolines can always be patched up and by designing the boat with a skeg the only real items to break with some cost are the hulls and rudders. Although the hulls can be patched up as well.

I really do believe this F12 should be a simpler, lighter, faster and truly open version of say the Hobie Wave. Thus bridging the cap between the non-sailing or dinghy sailing public and the very exiting catamaran scene focussed on the A-cats/F18/F16 and also Hobie 16/Dart 18

Maybe we should give the F12 another really good try ? (Like the Pacer cat depicted in picture)


But I will now end this tangent of the ISAF discussion.,

Wouter