Mbouds:

We have plenty of people with very good knowledge on how to tune a boat for racing. As to the steel plates, we had to put them on the boat for extra reinforcement because cracks were showing up on the hulls (where the rudders attach) and the area was getting very weak. In addition screw holes were getting larger (how many times can you put bigger screws in?). We had the plates made from precise drawings in a metal work shop, so they are not just crude things slapped on the boat. I mean, all the newer H16models now DO have reinforcement of the rudder attachment. I can almost guarantee that our thin stainless steel plate is stronger than the diecast thing Hobie provides.