As an owner of a Taipan platform that was build to F16 specs and flies an assymetric spinnaker I can tell you with complete honesty that I much prefer to sail my boat WITH the spinnaker in ALL conditions.

With a spi the boat is markedly better to sail then when broad reaching it without a spi. It calms down and has less tendency to dive. Right now beam reaching the Taipan is most difficult compared to the other courses. Of course the trampoline based jib sheeting had to go, boy, is that in the way of spi handling. The selftacker that is fitted in its place is a dream though.

As such the addition of the spinnaker made the boat better and gave it (in my honest opinion) a new lease on life. Of course the new 3rd generation F16's are superior to it, but that is the intent of a mildly restricted development class. But I'm not switching yet and it is still a good boat to be had on the second hand market for most people looking to get into the F16 class. It truly is.

Wouter