Hi Sam,

F18 is not capitalism stuff. It has been created in a sovietic country: La France.

Under the watch of a government sport agency the french sailing MNA: la Fédération Française de Voile.

I know it's hard to believe smile But that make sense with the genuine purpose of F18.

The cost of F18 is increasing much more because of hole in the rule (length of daggerboard, height of the hull), or the rule not apply strictly like allow carbon in daggerboard than limiting the thickness of the sails.
Don't you think so ?

Here the gain is mainly a performance bonus, lighter sails is really faster.

Actually F18 is not responding to free market mechanism: more offer does not mean cheaper boat.
At the start only 3 F18 model: Mattia, Tiger and Hawk and they were half the price of 2013 F18.

A contrario, less rule like C class or A class or AC72 does not make cheap boat.