I think that probably the best way to go is to adopt the Intl. A class rules with maybe four changes, i.e., 18ft becomes 14ft and minimum weight becomes say 50k, sail area becomes unrestricted and width becomes say 2.5m (we need plenty of room on the start line for a lot of boats ).
Base a performance issue on how much room is on the starting line? How about a longer starting line based on the size of the boat and numbers present?
There is a 'box rule' which determines the most efficient compromise between waterline length and weight or more correctly mass, which is in a direct relationship with displacement which is in a direct relationship with drag. These parameters control the amount of sail on a given mast height a 14ft long boat is capable of carrying and still be efficient. I have a some understanding of this because of my design experience with the 430 and when I hear people talking about boats way over 2m wide carrying massive sail plans I have a little laugh to myself because, here in Oz we've been down that road, the 16 and 18ft skiffs being classic examples. They started out with massive sailplans and lots of crew (stability) and now have much smaller but very efficient set-ups.
The weather in Oz favors smaller, more efficient sail plans. Here in NA (where the class is currently forming) the winds are generally lighter and favor larger sailplans with the ability to detune the rig as the wind picks up. You can always furl sails your are carrying, but you can't unfurl sails you're not carrying.
I would love to see the F14 become the next Olympic Class catamaran, and I would like to see it get there in a similar fashion as the Tornado: by being a home-builders class. I think there is a niche for a high-performance single-handed catamaran in the Olympics.
What we really need to get this class going is a set of plans, most preferably a set of plans that can be downloaded free off the internet or sold for the cost of printing and shipping, for a high-performance 14' platform buildable in sheet-ply.
