As the class chairman I must often be very careful with my comments on the different makes of boats. The problem of official impartiality.

However, this time I'm going to break this unwritten rule.

I have what is called a Taipan F16. It uses the Taipan 4.9 hull shape, Superwing mast and the new AHPC carbon rudder system and daggerboards. Everything else is F16 optimized. In summary I have a different and larger rearbeam, platform is wider, I have a selftacking jib, spinnaker setup, raised mainbeam for more clearence of the water and I've got a 2003 fully optimized 580 mm squaretop F16 mainsail. And then a score of little change like turnbuckles on my diamonds so that I can change the prebend settings between races without lowering my sails or tipping the boat over.

I've sailed and race this setup for a year now and can honestly say that this boat is a noticeable improvement over the standard Taipan 4.9. Although most improvements are made in how the boat behaves and less so in performance (with the exception of the spinnaker). The basic Standard Taipan 4.9 is a good boat and truly a fast boat. But when it comes down to some hard racing in tight fleets the F16 version (Not the Taipan 4.9 + spi) is just better.

Points that show noticeable improved :

-1- The trampoline area is alot more roomy then before. Actually with the selftacker the effective space was increased so much that I really don't see a need for a larger trampoline on the F16's. With the old jib system the trampoline was cramped, but with the selftacker it is absolutely right. Maybe even a bit large, probably could do equally well with less.

-2- The selftacker is a just a pleasure to sail. Quick tacks and gibes for two reasons. First : lots of room on the trampoline for the crew to move about. Secondly, less work to do for the crew in tacks and gibes. Often they can just swing themself inward, run to the other side (maybe pulling the new spi sheet with them), hook on and push themselfs out. This all seriously speeds up your tacks and gibes. Because of this improvement the boat keeps up its speed better through the manouvre and it is easily accellerated without changing any trim (mast rotation etc) away. If you ever challange a standard Taipan to a tacking or gibing duel then the F16 version with selftacker will win it, hands down.

-3- The new rearbeam, really works, although getting a stiffer mainbeam will work even more. The asian Taipan F16 (see picture) is probably what needs to be done to the basic Taipan design. It really helps platform stiffness.





-4- The larger squaretop mainsail works.

-5- The raised mainbeam (25 mm higher on the decks on my boat) really works. Those 25 mm do make a difference.

-6- The spinnaker addition is the single biggest performance and handling improvement that can even be made to this boat. The boat is significantly better to control downwind and it really keeps the bows out. The speed increase is of course really big.

-7- Sheeting the mast rotation of the trampoline instead of the boom is in my opinion another improvement that needs to be incorporated in all F16's. It allows full depowering when letting the main traveller out. Something that is less pronounced with the old system. It also cuts down on complexity.

-8- Extra width. Extra room on the trampoline and more leverage in a blow.

The Taipan 4.9 was really due for an upgrade of this magnitude. It just gives the design a new lease on life. Sure the hull shape is of a different timeframe, but with these mods the boat is very much on a level with the newer designs. Something that testifies to the excellence of the basic design and the superwing rig. But even such good designs must every now and then go with the times and decide to upgrade.

AHPC is going partly the way by offering what they now call the "Taipan Hunter", but my advice to any new customer is to not settle for anything less than a fully optimized Taipan F16, with all the mods as described above. These mods are all well worth the money. And the One-design class rules of the Taipan 4.9 have absolutely no meaning outside of Australia itself for we are never going to get a OD standard Taipan class going outside of Australia. The windown of opportunity for that was in in 1999 and 2000 and honestly "we" and AHPC completely missed that window. Now it is "1 F16 please" or "No thank you, I will buy boat from another builder"

Wouter