Of course,

If each fleet has 10 boats or more who cares it the fleets are mixed or not. I think we are all talking about a few local events without much riding on the end result. Naturally at bigger F18 events I would fully expect that they get their own start in the USA.

Of course I am European born and raised and we just mix our fleets completely 90 % of the time. My local club has a annual race weekend with over 100 boats attending. F18 class can easily be about 30 to 40 boats. F20 about 20 to 30. Do they get their own starts ? Hell no, we have two scoring fleets. "Fast ratings" and "slow ratings" and that is it. Any H16 crew only minding the 8 other H16's will get hammered in the final results by a prindle 15. And that is the way it should be in my opinion. If you are truly good than you'll correct out over F18's if you not than you won't. It doesn't matter if you are the first of 9 H16's when scoring a 40th place in a 50 boat fleet. You are still slow.

I truly think that US sailing will benefit alot from mixing fleets up more often. It will at least be fun to watch. Over here we have guy on a Prindle 15 that is just a ego killer. The instant you start to think you have some good skills he'll pull up next to you in a race and say hi. And believe me a Prindle 15 is a darn slow design; it such a boat snaps at your heels when you are sailing a Tiger of Inter 18 than you'll know that you have ways to go yet.

With all the miniscule boat fleets you have take away the fun of an upset or a surprise in catamaran racing.

Also any comments about getting jammed during the start or rounding is just an implicit admission that you entered the situation the wrong way. Sometimes I don't understand some sailors. You'll need to welcome getting any practice in starting on a crowded startline. How do you think national and world championships start-lines look like. Sure we'll all sail faster when the course if completely clear of "others" but what do we proof by that ? Sailor skill, racing skills ? Don't kid yourself.

A truly capable racer will find holes and correct passages through clogged mark roundings. Also because he had alot of practice at it.

If anybody has any dreams about an Alter cup event than they better start looking for contested start-lines and difficult mark roundings to practice on.

Sometimes I wonder why several clubs overhere get between 50 and 150 boats at their weekend events without any seperate starts.

Any I will shut my trap now. I'm a little hyperactive from something in my eveninh mail I guess.

But great of the F18 crews at Tommy Whiteside to extend their welcome. I think I speak for all of us F16's when I say that we appreciate that.

Wouter