AHPC have just built a boat that sails closer to it’s rating (Viper rating) then other F16s to their rating, thus allowing it to compete against a class that should be quicker.
AH but the Viper is the first F16 / 104 boat to be regularly put through its paces by Olympic quality sailors. Like all rating systems only the best sailors should achieve the theoretical rated handicap.
On the club scene all the F16 designs are pretty even with no one design ahead of the other whether in one or two handed crew mode, even the oldest designs are still hanging in there with the winner all ways the best nut on the tiller.
Class weight is 107 kilos for 2 handed boats. Most new designs are at that or around that weight using mainly glass construction.
Anyway its been fun to be part of the F18 Forum for 5 minutes, interesting to read on this forum the the wildcat structural problems, I guess all classes whether light or heavy can be beset with problems of one sort or another.
Stiffness in structures can lead to more problems than solve, glider design ( who probably lead the world in composite construction ) have now gone away from very stiff structures, it was leading to structural failure at key points ( stress fractures ) and many pilots felt that they were taking such a physical battering, they couldn't cope physically over longer flights. Food for thought and I would guess the super stiff boats must be nearing this point. I'll start a thread over on the F16 forum to see what we all think of this very interesting subject.
