Pete, you really have some issues to work out, I have never met you but your charm and intellect on this forum are enticing to say the least.
I have just gone through my posts and can't find anything in them that could in any way be interpreted as a "rant" and upon review its clear that I was simply making a contribution to the topic which by the way is about the cost of F18's. My responses have been directly related to the topic, unlike your (how do you say it?).... Rant?
Indeed it's about the price of F18s. So why the issue of weight and stiffness?
Admittedly in this case "rant" is a hyperbole. But I get so tired of chasing away the red herrings, straw man arguments, and ad hominem fallacies. Couldn't you be just a little creative? You've begun to sound like Goldilocks, (squeaky, high pitched voice) "this boat is too light, this boat is too stiff, the new wonderful "Macca" will be just right. It will be made of paper mache and cost just 12 cents."
Come on man, throw in some fancy looking equations, refer to some engineering concept I've never heard of. "Too light, too heavy." It's boring. I'll bet Wouter's wooden home build is just as fast and just as stiff as anything rolling out of any factory any where in the world.
That may be why ISAF won't consider a home build! One or two people here will remember that Holman and Moody started in a garage and became the BEST in their field.
Back to the subject, the price is what it is because that's what the traffic will bear. I'm betting the OP knows that and was just lamenting how addicted he is to this sport.
Time for my meds...
Pete Pollard Blade 702
'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.
