I don't really have a problem with unrestricted mast height, I just didn't want a limit on it less than 24'. Currently, there are no 14' production boats with a mast length of 24'. Some come close (13'6") like the Mystere and Quattro. I orignally posted a couple years ago about building a Quattro with Prindle 16 beams, a H14 mast, and modern mainsail, purely for use in heavy weather. The majority of the time I can solo my G-Cat 18, but when the wind is really ripping I wanted something smaller to abuse.

I've heard people talking about keeping their 22' H14 mast because they didn't want to go bigger, and that's all well and good. We're going to get some very good information this weekend from the Spring Fever Regatta, where widely different F14s will be raced against each other. Pretty much, I feel the class is just waiting to see what happens there to see what changes might need to be made.

Also, why complain about an 8'6" maximum beam when you're sure it's a design flaw to go that wide. Is your boat currently at the maximum legal road limit in Aus? Would you want to build one to that limit? Like you said, we may very well show up with an 8'6" boat and get beat by someone with a narrower beam. If that someone beating us is you, will you still complain that our boats are too wide?