I am getting out of International Aerobatic because of very similar performance biased issues. Being new to F18 racing, this does seem to be biased against smaller boat builders. I would interpreter this to read that you can paint a boat as long as it is a polyester, vinylester, or epoxy based paint. The pigment wouldn't matter just as you can have gelcoat with different pigments.

Just as the gelcoat is used as a finish , so can any of the other approved materials. A stricter interpretation would say that you could build the hull shell from polyester gelcoat, but I am thinking that gelcoat alone wouldn't be very durable since you couldn't mix in any glass fibers.



D.3.1(a) The hull shells shall be built from polyester or vinylester resin, glass fibres, polyester gelcoat, a core of PVC, balsa or felt, the combination of wood-epoxy, injected plastic, which shall not be altered other than locally for fittings, and passage of equipment and normal reinforcement. Epoxy glue is permitted for joining components. Every material that is not expressly permitted is prohibited.