What is the purpose of making the whole fleet of A-cats obsolete by adding gennaker, foils and increase width? To make it even faster? To attract new sailors? To make it more expensive and destroy the clean look of the A-cat?
For one thing, the A-cat class had no problem with making a whole fleet of A-cats obsolete when the carbon masts were pioneered of the wave-piercer hull shape. Come to think, so to with other things like square-top mainsails and glued in carbon beams. These things and others have happened over and over again since the early 70's when the A-cats were 115kg boats with only some 12 sq.mtr. sail on about 7.8 mtr mast (Unicorns)
So why is everybody looking weird at the guys wanting to do the next step by experimenting hydrofoiling or tilted rigs ?
If the sailors are happy with the current boat that is close to one design now, why should we start to change things?
Holaaa ! This is a major shift in the A-cat philosophy; you know, a huge step away from the mantra. "18 ft. long, 2.3 mtr wide, 150 sq.ft. sailarea and beyond that everything goes."
The A-cat can give the F18 a match around the course (upwind-downwind)
Yeah right ! That is why we always hear how they reached A-mark first only to loose the lead by those unfairly rated spi-boats.
Come-on Hakan, you know better than that.
