Well is that what it's come down to?
Not just the sailing, but really foil control?
Seems pretty stupid to me that they don't just let it be an 'open' format based on a box rule.
What I'd like to see is a max/min weight, max sail area, max foil area, and max hull length, then let the designers figure out what's fastest.
Brings up another issue, how do the A cats (and any other full foiling class) measure/handicap each other?
Do they restrict max sail area and foil area, min wt and max beam? Or just measure foils and sail area and minimum wt?
It seems to me, once the boat is up on the foils, all that matters is sail area (horse power) and foil lift/control. As we just saw, keeping the boat up on the foils, going fast, for the entire race is most critical.
Our 'Old School' idea of max hull length is no longer valid if you are going to spend the entire race up on the foils.
But still the physics is the same; Thrust (sail area) plus Lift (foil surface) must overcome Weight and Drag.
So, do we need a new measurement formula that measures Thrust+Lift vs Weight+Drag?
Can a Moth race head to head against a full foiling A Cat, if their L/D numbers match up?
That's what I'm wondering about.
Last edited by Timbo; 06/26/17 10:48 PM.