I cannot resist.... Let's get things correct!!!

Jim Boyer was one of the 2 original directors of AHPC. (Greg Goodall being the second)....

Secondly - The Taipan 4.9 was launched in Easter 1988 WITH A SPINNAKER!!! Yeah... REALLY!!!

Jim and Greg could not get it right, so they screwed up the spinnaker and threw it in the trailer.... There it stayed for some years.... went moldy and eventually was thrown out. They did not bother revisiting it as at that time, the Taipan 4.9 without a spinnaker was heaps of fun and beat everything, including many 18ft boats.

By the time Jim visited USA, other people had worked out how to get the spinnaker to work on cats. Jim & Greg realizing that the Taipan design was showing it's age, attempted to bring it into the 21st century by adding a kite. At this time, the Taipan Assoc of Australia was very strong, and there were very mixed feelings regarding this. Even though many Taipans were modified to carry the kite, it did not take long for Greg and Jim to realize that the Taipan 4.9 rig and hull were not the ideal design for a spinnaker carrying catamaran.... Hence the designing of the Viper had commenced!!

Wouter - It is a amazing that you thought that the Taipan was a modern design when it was already a 15 year old design.... when Greg & Jim were already talking of the next generation!