First off Sorry no desire to offend or detract from the accomplishments and innovations produced by AHPC. I truly believe that their contribution has been understated! The Taipan should be inducted into the hall of fame.
Yes and I suspect I'm not the only one disappointed in the direction AHPC has taken. Some view it as a sell out and don't see any significant savings (at retail level anyway) to warrant moving production overseas. Of course I understand why you say the VIPER is such a better F16 than the Tiapan. No argument but it's also a hell of a lot heavier! Which is exactly my point. With exception to the Taipan (are they still in production??) they do not "manufacture" light weight boats. That is due only to "love of the sport" no doubt.
As for a all Carbon Viper, other then Mecca I don't believe anyone would be stupid enough to build one. Mecca on the other hand has proven his credibility by dropping at least 30K into modifying a Taipan 5.7 (the hulls apparently produced from the same molds that were destroyed by AHPC to make room for the heavier (much faster) Capricorn). And now he wants to raise the weights of the F16 class?? Yeah OK Mecca whatever you say...
Originally Posted by Brett Goodall
Originally Posted by Buccaneer
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.
You need to get you facts straight!!! We are 100% capable of producing a fully carbon F16 or an A class. I don't know who you are or how you think you are qualified to comment on our abilities. By your "proof in the pudding" comment we could deduce that we are unable to produce anything we don't already.
DO NOT make it appear we pushed the Tiapan association to Up the Weights. We stated that only a few boats are currently under weight and that the new boats wouldn't be lighter, and as Dazz stated the association voted in it. We DO NOT run the association.
Jim was NOT replaced.... he decided it was his time to engage in other projects. That is not the "political line" that is FACT. He left and the Hull production has now been moved off shore. We are producing more boats that we have every done before. Jim was a master boat builder but he did not have the capability to keep up with what we are producing now. I have all the official numbers to back this up.
As for the quality??? You better be careful otherwise somebody might mistake you for someone who knows what they are talking about. The quality now is as good as ever, and the consistency and accuracy is superb.
To finish; Building a Viper with Taipan technology... do you build boats??? Even design them???? Do you want to know why the VIPER is such a better F16 than the Tiapan?? It is hull Volume and it is the platform stiffness. Oh look these add weight... take them out to save weight and you end up back at the Taipan.
You clearly have a problem with the direction that AHPC has gone, I find this purely offensive because Greg Goodall does what he does out of the love of the sport. He has always been building and designing boats in the interest of the customers. If you have an outstanding issue with AHPC please E-mail me and I will discuss it with you.
Thank you
Brett GOODALL
"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. 
