Darren started the day with a tweet

- Feeling a bit sore this morning after a big day on the water yesterday, bloody hard work on the front. Won a race, OCS & only 1 capsize.


**** Short article on the maiden voyage (with respect to racing) of a new F16 design *******

Source : http://catsailingnews.blogspot.com/search/label/F16%20Europeans

First good picture of the new Aqua Raptor F16, designed and developed by Hans Klok in Netherlands. Clean shape with good volume, a standard feature of all new performance beachcats and this one equiped with Landys. Right now two AquaRaptors are racing the F16 Europeans: Federico Farina´s ITA 111 currently 8th even with Gill de Bryune on his Falcon and Hans Klok's NED 111 who is racing solo-
Till now high winds races were held, and these conditions are not the best for solo F16 racers as they have to manage the downwind spi holding three controls: Tiller, Main Sheet/Traveller and Spi sheet. Although the main is cleated while sailing downwind it is not an easy task in 18knots, imagine that A-Class sailors doesn´t even have to worry about it and they have some of the top solo sailors around.
With low winds the solo racers should have an advantage due to less weight.
So the F16 Class now have several designs to choose from, this is key for their success as its been proved with the F18, and the 2B/Ahpc team giving full extra exposure will do no harm...

Congrats to Hans on this new project, designing and building a new racing boat is not an easy task, you may have experience and knowhow but if you are not a big company like Nacra or Hobie is always harder, but the rewards are also sweeter, building, sailing and racing your own design ... is one of the best feelings a sailor can have.
More info on the AquaRaptor at www.catamaranparts.nl


And now for some boat porn !!!


Photo: Helen Sharrock