Hello Mark,
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<br>>>Well I would not write an Obituary yet. .... waiting for the factory led group to organize an F18 program.
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<br>I certainly hope so. And I truelly hope that this is the reason for the fact that this foru is "slow"
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<br>>>The F18 class is all about potential. The current USA mindset is the F18 will be for teams sailing close to 300 lbs looking for lighter sheet loads. (What do the Euro F18 sailors think is the optimal configuration?)
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<br>They do not agree. 150 kg's (333 pounds) or slightly above is considered optimal. It is definately a good class when you're a husband and wife team but it is by no means a light crew weight class. I don't understand why the US mindset is like this, apart from maybe the fact that winds are truelly lighter there. But their seems to be different opinions about that.
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<br>>>If the class can get some good sailors to move up from Hobie 16's and 18 's and some overpowered couple teams on the I20 and the N6.0 and H20 classes to move down they could achieve critical mass as a formula class (so long as they don't fracture into competing one designs at the regional level/Division level)
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<br>Absolutely right.
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<br>>>... racing at minimum was always viewed as faster... So.. set a low minimum to attract sailors.
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<br>Okay. Personally I'm not really happy with misleading info like that but this is for others to decide.
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<br>>>From my point of view .... BUT... the big BUT.. most racers ask me... is Who are you going to race against.
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<br>A problem that each starting class has including the F18 and ofcourse F16's can race against F18 as well as A-cats. F18 and F16 are linked to eachother and I hope that we can grow by leaning on eachother.
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<br>>>They have an even harder time envisioning a Formula 16 class taking off in the US.
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<br>For the time being F16 is ahead and there is interest. But what I fear is the next thing you say.
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<br>>>>Secondly, Bigger is always better to us in the US (been there... done that myself) Even non racers.... want big boats...(Mystere sold most of their boats in the US to non racers... Many of them were in way over their head when the breeze picked up... Scared Shitless. A lot of them would let the boat sit for a year or two rather then admit they made a mistake.)
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<br>Ofcourse the F16 is designed around a completely different mindset. And is a contradiction at first glance. Smaller in every respect and just as fast ? It is a far more elegant in design and for a people that favour impressive and grant things this craft might indeed be something they need time to get used too.
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<br>On the other hand, what is better than to sail from a underdog position (also a American favoured concept) where you have nothing to lose and everything to gain and outsail Macho Dad on a testosteron design on what he only 5 minutes ago called a "toy boat for kids"
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<br>>>IMHO, the best solution will be for Formula 18 and 16 to race within a portsmouth open class. In the Mid atlantic.
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<br>And that is why teh group and Kirt in particualr are working at getting a formula regatta where all US formula's are present. Lake Hartwell has been chosen by the F16's after Kirt consulted several sailors. John is even coming over from UK and 3 out of 4 F16 designs will be present.
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<br>Come to think of it. who has a better race scene in the short term ? F18 or F16 HP ?
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<br>By the way, we invite all nacra I-18, F18, Hobie Tigers and (modified) Nacra 5.5 and Hobie 18's to participate. I'm sure we will all sail togetherin one fleet and forget about 1 or 2 % rating differences that we have between us.
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<br>Contact Kirt Simmons for more info.
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<br>>>If cat racing growth will be zero or negligable.
<br>My argument and soap box is... In this 25 boat fleet we will have several levels of competition... The best Tornado sailor will be competing aginst the best formula racer (on portsmouth Is this a compromise... of course). Without competition though ...even at the Beginer level... too many racers will loose interest and drift away.
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<br>Hence my, sorry, our invitation to all 18 footers near F18 ratingto enter.
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<br>>>The other model for fleet growth is one design. By organizational design and leadership of a dominant personality and group sociology... when one fleet becomes dominant... well pretty soon every one will then be sailing one kind of boat. Now... you have an A and B fleet)
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<br>Ahh, well it is up to the sailors and the formula classes will survice on the EU market alone.
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<br>Here is the big unanswerable question... Which model works if you can't get new people into the sport.
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<br>Well neither actually.
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<br>>>Which model works to actually get people into the sport and leads to growth when the marketplace offers many different boat choices to a consumer.
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<br>That is also easy, Formula is better in this respect than One-design.
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<br>See you,
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<br>Mark.
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