I know you were!
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<br>I think you've got a hard job to keep everybody happy here,
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<br>With F16hp the three main boats were all very similar and even then it took a lot of work (mainly done by Wouter)
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<br>There are quite big variances in the boats that you need to get to the same speed.
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<br>The other problem that you have is that it seems to me that the inter 20 is the quickest of the boats that you are looking at, and you want to make the class quicker still.
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<br>I've no problem with the latter the quicker the better, but it puts the older, slower designs even further behind.
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<br>Someone has already suggested just putting a handicap limit and then allowing anyone to sail any boat as long as its handicap was at or below your limit. I think this may be a good way ahead, it allows anyone to join in and they have a choice of ways to bring their boat up to your speed.
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<br>As regards moving forward on weight reduction, someone else suggested a two tier system, again it could be done with a handicap limit, say 3% lower than standard.
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<br>This way if people wanted light boats, they could use small jib and spinnaker sails at standard h'cap until you get enough boats to run races in the faster group.
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<br>As regards weight/ sail area, I see no reason why you couldn't get a twenty foot by 8.5 ft cat down to around 320 lbs for the kind of money you are currently paying for the inter.
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<br>I think if you sailed at this weight you wouldn't need to increase sail area, the Isaf handicap system predicts that this would be 4-5% quckerthan a current 390lb boat, i'm sure texel would say the same and I'm sure tthe boat would perform, my only query would be that it would be aboat for heavyweights as you would lose quite a lot of righting moment, but I guess from your comments you want more power anyway.
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<br>There you go, my 2 cents worth as you American chaps say!!!<br><br>

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John Pierce

[email]stealthmarine@btinternet.com
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