No I disagree and I think proof is in the pudding! Boyer was the boat builder of that operation and to my knowledge he has not been replaced and they have lost capacity. Has anyone actually weighed or even seen a new Taipan? Maybe they will UP the minimum weight for that class as well (already did once) or simple destroy the molds like they did with the 5.7. So yes it's my opinion that Goodall sails is incapable of producing Acats or even a Taipan (Kevlar option no longer available) much less an F16 at minimum weight. Again the proof is in the results.
As for all the talk of an all carbon F16 but that is a complete BS propaganda too in my opinion. Whom could they get to build it for them and at what price? And who's going to be stupid enough to build one out of carbon (besides Mecca) when they could just as easily build to minimum weight using a glass and Kevlar combination as Boyer developed for the Taipan?.. Come on these are not Acats at 70kgs! Pure propaganda....
Originally Posted by John Williams
Are we talking about the same AHPC? As someone who owns an AHPC product and someone who has raced both the Blade and the Viper against the best in the US, I find the Aussie boats to be the best-built production catamarans in the world. F18 weights are incredibly consistent and (as Macca notes) on the light side of the line every single boat I have seen since 2006. Greg says he chose to go a bit heavier on the Viper so it could be driven harder off the breeze. The boat is doing very well in the F16 fleet. This, IMO, is not indicative of "mediocrity" as you assert, but instead a design and build decision balanced between cost and benefit - which is a positive feature of the class.
While Boyer has moved on to other projects that hold his interest, I can say there is absolutely zero difference in build quality between the Capricorn I had with Boyer's name on it and the 2009 boat I have that doesn't. Jim is amazingly talented. It is legitimate to say so. But you are simply wrong in your assertion that Jim's amicable departure has changed how AHPC makes boats or resulted in dropping the A-cat from their line-up because they are incapable of making one.
"House prices have risen by nearly 25 percent over the past two years. Although speculative activity has increased in some areas, at a national level these price increases largely reflect strong economic fundamentals." – Ben Bernanke – 2005
Maybe they will UP the minimum weight for that class as well (already did once) or simple destroy the molds like they did with the 5.7. 
So yes it's my opinion that Goodall sails is incapable of producing Acats or even a Taipan (Kevlar option no longer available) much less an F16 at minimum weight. Again the proof is in the results. 
