>>I can agree that development classes cost more to stay competitive, but only to a point : there is not that much you can modify on simple boats,

Well the answer has been given by the A-cat class, didn't it.

M&M A2 15.500 US dollars (I seem to remember that being without a sail)
Boyer Flyer 15.000 Euro's incl sail = 14.000 - 14.500 US$ without a sail.

Compare this to F18 prices

Tiger F18 14.500 US$ (Correct me if I'm wrong here)
Nacra F18 12.500 US$
Cirrus F18 in EU 15.500 Euro = 14.500 US$ because of lower US taxes etc.

For a boat that has only one sail and not alot of everything else it sure is expensive in a relative sense.

Count how much more gear is fitted to an F18 and they are running down A's in anything but drifters.

It is unbelievable how much money can eventually be sunk in a simple development boat.


>>I`m surprised to find that a boat 50kg lighter with a carbon mast costs LESS to produce.

Remember that Stealth is producing very inexpensive boats. Ventilo for example asks alot more for their HT's about the same as a I-20.

To give a comparison, Steaths 16 footer is only 15-20% more expensive than a bare Hobie 16. Given the gear on it alone makes this is a major achievement. Their HT is much the same.

Besides making a carbon mast in house is significantly cheaper.


Wouter