Edmund,

>>One quick question; can a hobie 16 join the F16 class?

The Hobie 16 fully conforms to the Formula 16 limit with only one exception. Overall length.

The Hobie 16 has an overall length of 5.06 mtr = 0.06 mtr to long but its waterline length = 4.99

All other items like sail fully measure in.

If we would apply to the F16 limit in the most strict sense than the Hobie 16 would not be allowed in HOWEVER we have the grandfather rules (rules 5.1 and 6.1) that allow the local class head (You ?) to be accomodating.

I'm personally the local head for the Netherlands. In this role I've have decided that to allow boats like the Hobie 16 under the grandfather rule is fully along the spirit of the F16 rules, it is in the interest of the F16 class and the extra overall length does not constitude an unfair advantage in any way.

The spirit of the F16 rules is openess, inclusiveness and focussing on sailing skills rather than wasting time on which design is 1 % faster or not (= neglectable when compared to differences in skill).

Of course we all know that the Hobie 16 has a lower speed potential than the F16's and therefor allowing them in can never be unfair to the other boats (F16's). So why ban them ? In fact the more honour to the H16 crew beating all F16's, right. That crew will have showed great no-nonsense spirit by getting out there and doing it ! Not to mention showing great skills by fully compensating for the disadvantage. This is no wishful thinking by the way. The first 3 Hobie 16's in the round of Texel have beaten 64 F18's to the line out of about 80 F18's, I repeat, on ELAPSED time (not handicapped time). Considering that the F16 has the same speed performance as the F18's it shows that with sufficient skills a H16 crew can shake things up. Again a great showcase for point -1- as stated in my mail.

I know there are some great sailors on Hobie and if they want to enter their platforms and show us how to properly sail a catamaran to the finish first than I, for one, am not going to stop them. I think that when a Hobie 16 crew would win that that would be a great heads up to the F16 sailors. Showing the value of point -1- in my e-mail. Showing them that sailing skills are far more important than boat design.


(for forum readers point -1- and -2- in my e-mail to Edmund were :

-1- Final course results are at minimim 10 times more dependent on sailor skill than on the platform used.

-2- A good deal of sailors install a mental limit to their speed potential by thinking point -1- isn't true


I refer also to the example set by the Mosquito F16's. Both in South Africa and Australia. I think that in South Africa there was talk of having a combined event.

But it seems like that is a decision that the Phillippine F16 class head (you ?) can make by himself after weighing against the spirit and goals of the class. At least that is how the other class heads have done that.


Regards,

Wouter