hello,
In approximately 1985 i raced Round Texel and it was the world's largest cat race then. i think it was that way in the late 70's too. There were like 600 boats participating in those days if memory serves correctly.
In Holland in those days a bar tender could afford to race a P 16 for example. Apparently people had more disposable income over there.
No kites in '85 yet and we caught all the way up to the front of the pack on the downwind sailing a borrowed G 5.7. The boat had no mast rotation control and we suffered on the last long beat to the finish because we could not depower the main sufficiently. Around 10 boats passed us on the way up.