Wouter, as I have told you, you are your own worst enemy when it comes to provoking controversies.

I did not say anything about F-16 sailing in Florida, that I can recall or find. Maybe that was Rick. I said in a brief parenthetical once that the F16 class has not yet gotten going in the United States. But I also said that the Blade being manufactured here is going to be a big help.

I did not say anything about the Hooter being "banned" by the class. I questioned the mid-girth measurement requirement which seemed to effectively preclude Hooters. It seemed that the mid-girth requirement was really only adopted by the F16 class because it makes sail measuring more efficient because then measurers can use the ISAF sail-measuring guidelines. For a headsail it seems as though the important thing is to make sure that all the headsails fit within the maximum sail area. It just seems silly to have a measurement rule that precludes a smaller, flatter headsail that is probably slower.

I also added that Calvert now says that he thinks he can build a Hooter-type, furling headsail that will work with the mid-girth rule. So maybe it is a non-issue. We shall see, probably at Rick's expense for the experimentation. And depending upon the results of Hooters racing against spinnakers, this issue might be revisited in the future. No point in discussing it until there is some comparative data on windward-leeward courses, with the headsails only being used on the leeward courses.

Regarding the formalizing of membership, I already gave you all my suggestions and opinions in a private e-mail. Would you prefer that I reprint that here on the forum? Or would it be "not helpful"? I'm never quite sure.