Hi all,

just an update on all things Altered. Boat is going OK still trying to to tune up get fittings, ropes right etc. Boat is now aprox. min. weight 105kg. rigged, since repair strengthening work. Can't get over how docile the boat feels, the F16 is realy a very stable platform. Most people look at Altered like it is going to be a handful, but compared to the Mosquito it realy isn't much livelier. It makes me review my feelings about Phil's Blade which I thought felt quite docile, which I put down to the size of the hulls and perhaps a little excess weight. But I think it realy comes back to a GREAT Formula rule.

Yes I can see ease of sailing and feeling docile as positive things for the class. You don't have to be the worlds best sailor to handle one of these things. But at the same time they are deceptivley fast especialy upwind. Sure they don't feel like an A class but they aren't much slower upwind and the kite soon makes up for it.

I guess I should put these comments in perspective, coming of a Mosquito a 16 ft. cat with a spinnaker rigged weight of around 92kg. which has one foot less beam than an F16HP. I am sure Wouter could tell us something about power to weight ratios, righting moments etc. I guess the F16HP may feel alot more exciting to a Hobie sailor.

Spent yesterday racing with three F16 cat rigged Mossies. Had three short races, each race at least one of them had a go at me upwind, but I generaly beat them despite getting some shifts wrong. Speed was very even downwind found it hard to get away from them,finished ahead as much due to shifts as speed. Wind varied from around 12 kts. to drifter. They beat me on VYC yardstick in all but the last race where the wind gods decided to stop blowing after I finished.

Regards Gary.