So I have a more interesting challenge to put my money: the price of any gel-coated F18 will be similar, as they are on the market.
Thanks to "FORMULA 18 CLASS RULES GUIDING PRINCIPLES:"
Being open to any manufacturer allows many builders and sail makers to compete and so keep costs to a minimum.
The Class remains aware to keeping development under control, maintaining a good balance between cost and performance."
The cost for gelcoated boats are similar because they are all built using cheap asian labour - different brands are even manufactured in the same factory.
How is that a good thing for F18 development?? What I do know is that in your perfectly gelcoated world a European or Australian manufacturer who wants to actually BUILD the boat themselves can no longer provide a boat at a similar price because the labour costs involved in gelcoating in those countries makes it unviable.
You say banning paint is a good thing for the class because some marketing material says it makes the boat go faster. Yet you are now eliminating manufacturers from entering the class unless they send their boats to the same factories in Thailand that the major builders use.
That's crazy talk.
Gelcoated vs painted boats - Please prove to me there's a performance advantage.
Otherwise it looks very much like a cynical attempt to force out one particular manufacturer to the detriment of others.
Hi Gav,
Painting and one factory in a low cost country are not the same issue.
The same factory is the provider of several F18 brand, for the hull, that is an industrial common case.
Builders make choice, for the sails how many real factory ? A few indeed.
But as far as I know, I do not see painted F18 with a real price (not list price but the price you're paying) 10 or 20% off a gel coated one.
There is no consensus in the Technical Comittee about painting, I just add that double speech in marketing material did not help. Really faster, or not the painted boat ?
The paint issue is a clarification, not a new rule that's a key point.
Clarification voted by the last november World Council (10 nations representing 74% worldwide members).
ISAF confirmed that clarification and improve the wording last week (3 documents, not one).
And the rule can change. If you're involved in your National F18 Assocation, you can act for it !
F18 rules are ours, they are not belonging to anyone else that the F18 customers.
You haven't answered the question Franck.
- Please prove to me there is a performance advantage in painted vs gelcoated hulls.
This thread has been going for a long time now and there is not a single person other than yourself posting in favour of this ban.
Think you might have got it wrong???? Or is it directed solely at banning Phantoms??
Gav,
You're right that is a key question.
I've already said there is a doubt for the members of the technical comittee and you can consider that F18 World Council (10 nations, representing 74% worldwide members) vote in a conservative way for this clarification (no new rule).
Please do not think I want to be rude if I return the question:
can you prove me there is no performance advantage in painted hull ?
It will be difficult, as to prove you there, there is a performance advantage.
Some pretend to have this performance gain and they step back in another (marketing or true ?) speech.
I'm not postin in favour (or not) of this ban. I post:
-to explain the process of this issue (which is not against one buiders as Macca said Mattia and WindRush are concerned)
-to allow reader to have another sound.
That's why I'm goin on, and I don't care personnal attack or insult (just learnt what "crap" means, that is strong
)
An people aggressivness is getting higher when those people argument are poor, that is clear sign to reader who want to make his mind.
More than this, you know as me, than 10 satisfied people make less noise than one unsatisfied one.
This apply on another subject: in forum or blog you find many post and reaction against HC16 for Olympic.
Despite this, each poll on the web, HC16 is the first or the second choice.
The more harder is the attack against this boat, the more significant is the HC16 choice.
Funny isn't it ?
