Wouter,
I have to disagree with your comments with regard to the Spitfire as a SINGLE HANDER above. most of your examples were quoting 2 handed F16's which I agree with, they are great boats. I myself have sailed a Spitfire in around F2-F6 and they are very fast and great fun.
I've sailed them and in force 4 to 6 winds, the 17 foot singlehanders are not really competitive with regard to doublehanders as well. Is not so much a design problem but more an issue of not havign enough hands or KG's on the wire.
Wouter
You comments above to carry some truth,
all Single handed boats with kites will always struggle when it gets very windy as we (I) do run out of hands. Having said that, we do get out day some times, I was out today in winds varing from about F2 to top F5 and had a 38th (and a swim) and a First place (when blowing F5). This was in our club championship and I was up against national and european champions in cat and monohulls.
I understand it is very tempting to write off independent boat designs like the Spitfire or the Taipan using some soundbites.
I did no such thing, I said I thought 16 foot was a little short for carring that much sail single handed. I know Reg and Rob White (they made me a hurricane once
)
If you don't believe me than for example, look up the Carnac results for the last years.
How many of those F16's were single handed ?
Pardon my French here but you guys are like men who determine manhood using a tape measurer while we all know that it is the way you wield it that makes the ladies wild.
Grow up
I never said a 16 foot boat was bad, just a little short with a Spitfire mainsail single handed
Actually there is another funny twist to the story and that is that several boats never completed their 3 laps as they never beleived that they could be lapped by an F16 in some 40 minutes of sailing. There were a few instances where other crews followed Daniel van Kerckhof and Anna-liese Byrne over the finishline only to find that they were open to be disqualified afetrward for not finishing the course. Daniel and Anna-liese however did not press these issues with the RC as they had won their fleet anyway with or without the DSQ's of the other crews. Of course Daniel and Anna-liese are a very capable crew and should be regarded as extremely talented sailors. That must be said, however lapping other boats in 40 minutes of sailing is quite a feature.
Another 2 up example
Wouter, you have your opinion about the F16 scene which I
mostly agree with. You have taken exception to my comments with regard to the spitfire singlehanded. I was not planning to start a war (which it looks like I have), F16's are great boats, I have sailed one (a spitfire as I say above)
I am not 'having a go at F16'
Now back on topic does anyone have any solid facts on the Nacra F17 ?
