If weight was not such an issue, then why do sailors (who know a thing or two about sailing) scrape to remove every gram they can to get as close to min weight as possible....... And F16 sailors believe 18 kg makes no difference.

If platform stiffness is not critical, then why do teams re-beam their boats when they start to get a little sloppy. Marstrom hulls will near on last a life time. All you need to do is re-beam them every now and then to keep them competitive. Taipan 4.9 sailors often re-beam old boats to try and restore platform rigidity. Small beam Tornado sailors over the years have re-beamed their boats with bigger, stiffer beams. AHPC in the last few years of the Capricorn production produced new beams of slightly better alloy quality, thicker side walls, slightly larger diameter and thicker webbing, all to increase stiffness (Brett could you confirm this).

So is weight and platform stiffness really important or are the F16 sailors right and some of our world’s best sailors have no clue.

The nut behind the tiller will always make the biggest impact. I have seen Mossies regularly beat a classic rigger tornado around the course, but I sure as hell know which is the quicker boat. In big fleet racing, a boat length difference here and there or a few degrees deeper can make a big difference to the overall result. So, should the sailing be only about the sailor, or should you allow the boat to also contribute to the result.