Matt:
Enjoyed having dinner with you. Gina is Charming!
Says a lot for the platform that she adapted to the chute so quickly. I wish I'd spent more time studying the boat, only after I left Tradewinds it occurred to me it might be a versatile option for future racing. Hard to think of a 16 footer being fast, hope you've changed that perception.
Know you're still working out some fine points, but what do you project to be a production schedule for the Blade? I am probably going to buy an F-18 just cause that's the growing class in South Carolina right now, and we have committments to keep one design active, especially in the wake of the recent Hobie Changes and their effect on the local fleets. I've been through a H-16, H-17, Nacra 5.5, Inter20, and Hobie 14 all in the search for a cat that will be fast and versatile, yet still allow relaxed sailing with the family when you're off the reacecourse. I don't want to be the first kid on the block, but I think the Blade is probably a much better boat choice for me, and the Family.
Hope you sell a bunch of them, especially in the Southeast so we can get some 1-Design racing started in an F-16 class. Will look forward to watching your progress so we can convert some of the F-18 class to a different platform on the F-16.
I'm particularly intrigued by the claims that one can race head to head with F-18's or ACATS just with changing the sails around.
Equally interesting is that boatspeed is supposed to be little affected by variables of crew weight.
Can't wait to see how this all turns out.
Sell some boats, Wouldja?
Cary Palmer
www.seacats.org