Mark,

>>Wouter, what else do you know about this AHPC Capricorn? The Capricorn website claimed in Dec. '02 that AHPC was to start production in January '03. The AHPC site says nothing about it.

Well I can't comment on the dates given here, but I do know that AHPC "are"/"will be" offering these.

A few times the Capricorn design came up in discussions I had that were mainly on the topic of the Taipans and some F16-Taipan class business. The points mainly focussed on technical details and with that I know they are building. I don't know why the AHPC website doesn't mention the Capricorn, I had never noticed that. But the claim that AHPC will build the capricorn is true. Maybe the project is being delayed as many projects often are.


>>There is information on the International F18 site about a AHPC F18 derived from the Taipan 5.7, but as far as I can tell nothing came of that. Any clue what AHPC is up to with F18?


That Taipan F18 project of an earlier time is well known to me; actually one of these (I think only 2 or three were build) was sailed by a fellow club member in a National race last august. (REM RACE) I heard that it also race in the Dutch F18 nationals.

I don't know what the plans with respect to this version are.

With respect to the capricorn I think AHPC is very serious and hence they are serious "with the F18". How this will be marketed and offered I (again) don't know. Maybe they do it under the name AHPC or maybe Dr Fisher himself will build the network that offers the capricorn and AHPC only makes the platform.

Not many answers here I'm afraid; like I said I know more of technical details of the Capricorn and the "Taipan 5.7 turned into F18" than I know of the project itself.

And before the question about what I know in a technical sense is put forward I must stress that I will not tell these things on a public forum or writing.

The info was part of private conversations and without AHPC approving I will not disclose the info expressed to me.

WOuter