Hear hear
In our local distance races, it is not unusual to see results based on sailors, not boats. The finishing order may read: P19, I20, N6.0, Bim.A cat, P19SPIN, I17R,ACAT, H20, N6.0 SPIN, H16, I17R, I20, N6.0, TheMightyHobie18 H16, TheMightyHobie18, TheMightyHobie18, H20
F18 is about a silly spec.
How can you argue keeping costs down with three sails? Was looking at what I needed to do to meet it, and gave up. How much of a whipping will I put on everyone because my mast ball is 1" higher (or lower) than the specification?
For instance, Hobie 18 will not qualify because of the curved beam, etc.
Please, re-dimension the spin pole in the spec, so it makes sense!
This type of thing just saps enthusiasm, which is in short supply for cat sailing around here already.
What really is the reality? Are we truly all going to take our toys and go home if someone shows up with an all carbon bi-hull? I think we are far more likely to just stay home with our old TheMightyHobie18 if there is no aknowledement of us, because we don't correspond to a specification.
I raced a h16 for years, and got all excited when a hot boat showed up. So It was a no contest, but It was fun to see. Not as fun as seeing Bob Curry put the hurt on spin cats with a A cat uni off the wind! Or Randy Smyth finish 20% ahead of everyone else on his old Prindle 19. No one design here. Fun.