NACRA, and/or Hobie, could clearly come up with a competitive F16- especially if they put some of their "rock stars" on them to sail them. They are businesses and they make product decisions based on the bottom line, and apparently have done so successfully despite what some of us (including myself) might think about those decisions. This is why they are still probably in business and have survived rough times before. Both, in the past, have definitely preferred SMOD boats over "open" or development boats- Hobie even passes rules NOT allowing any other "brand" of boat at their sanctioned regattas. Witness the Hobie "near-A" that is essentially a SMOD "A" cat. If either could, they would turn the F18 into a SMOD, with their particular hulls being the class-approved ones (witness Hobie's plans for the Tiger and holding separate Tiger regattas). We are (presently) a small market from their perspective, we are "open" so that means there product will be judged directly in comparison to others in price, quality, etc. and we are a sailor controlled class compared to their manufacturer controlled model. Additionally, in this economy, justifying the development and start-up costs for an entirely new "model" which not be able to utilize many of the company's current components (which clearly keeps costs down in many ways- well known in autos, power boats, RV's, ess any mass produced product). In the case of NACRA at least, it appears their "approach" is simply to try to lure potential F16 buyers to one of their current products- F18, Inter 17 (Formula now?- THERE is an OBVIOUS reason they renamed the "Inter" IMO- American mentality of "more is better"- if an F16 is good then an F17 MUST be better!), the Hobie 16 or FX1, etc. Much more cost effective for them to do that than develop and market a new product.
THIS is why IMO what we, as F16 sailors, need to do is really help our current manufacturers- Support them ALL!! A little "ribbing" between brands is great and "I like my boat better because...." is helpful but bashing/criticizing OUR manufacturers, for any reason, is playing right into the hands of our "competition" for new/current sailors. All this derision about weight, etc. is playing right into their hands too IMO. It projects a vision of a fractionated, derisive class. Heck Hobie 16's weights vary greatly but you don't hear them really bashing their manufacturer. We need to be more like the "A" class- in the "A" class we just love the boats and the concept- we have a ton of different boat builders and every boat has it's merits- As has been pointed out many times, every boat is a compromise- what makes them different is where and how the compromises differ.
That's just how I see it- Your opinion may differ and that's fine!

Kirt