Apparently, I used the identifier "hardcore racing" to describe what the F16 is not about. A few have asked what this means exactly so here my explanation.

Hardcore racing implies a series of events that all count towards a championship or title. It puts pressure on the class members to attend all such events or basically be non-participants (those DNS's kind of kill your changes otherwise). I also implies a certain attitude in in racing that some find off-putting. When the stakes run high (sponsor deal promises to be fulfilled) then the tempers run high. Alot of abuse on the start-line, yelling and cursing and on the beach statements made in the line of "if you can't stand the heat then get out of the kitchen"

The F16 is not intended for this kind of sailing enjoyment. Hence the basic principle of only organising single events or challenges. The events are more about your own battle against nature and to surpass yourself then about beating the other guy and get 1st place. It allows the class members to pick the events they want to participate in and which they don't, without undo outside pressure. Afterall, this class was intended to be both versatile and relaxed thus accomdating to crews/sailors who also have other persuits in life like family, career or other hobbies. We can't all be Macca can we ?

So why not sail Hobie 16's you may ask. Well, because being relaxed about our sailing doesn't mean that we don't care whether we sail an old clunker or a top-of-the-line modern boat. We do ! Especially when laying down 15.000 bucks for it. For that kind of money we expect something proper. Not some overweight, bad behaved sailboat with some fancy striping and a glossy brochure. That and the act we also sail in open class events (distances races) and it is just no fun trailing 30 min behind the fleet.

So we maximized what we could get for a reasonable purchase prize and formed the F16 class.

Again, anybody not interested in recreational racing (single events for a beer prize and the eternal honour) can go to the F18 class and anybody with a full-carbon fetism can go to the A-cat class (or the new M20, CFR20, Eagle 20, nacra F20 class or whatever comes around next year class). We'll just use a few pieces of carbon cloth were it matters and run with that.

Wouter