It will be a long while before we attain the standard of European racing but, it is fun trying and we do have a year-long summer to boast of!

The T 4.9 is one incredible boat - it still has life but only as an F-16! The self tacker transforms the boat totally and is well worth the effort.

We're almost of the mind to start converting the standard T 4.9 platforms to full-spec' F-16's (2.5m beam etc...) We just want to make sure our carbon beams are the right match and then...away we go!

Certainly our other carbon items are right on not just lighter but impervious to our environment where the alloy tends to corrode out rather quickly. And so, the boat looks very tidy with the 'black' boom spinn. pole etc...

We attempted some kevlar chain plates but these proved not as reliable (yet) as the good old stainless steel ones. By comparison, the Kevlar chain plates weighed only grams and so it might take a little more time to get the kevlar plates to settle properly.

I'd hazard a guess and say that within the next 6 months we will see an F-16 go into fibreglass production here in S.E Asia. In the meantime the wood-epoxies are getting good attention as they have helped us pull the price of Formula sailing down here in Asia and that alone is helping to build the Fleet again.

There are lots of things going on here the least of which we are trying to get a suitable location for a good F-16 regatta. Developments of last week, it looks like we may have found a very good venue. In the meantime, we will be having a F-16 Challenge in the peak of our Monsoon (Feb' 06). This will be a 60nmile race from a Club in Singapore around a lighthouse and back. It's a 30nm beat follwed by a 30nm run! The record time is so far, 5hrs 10mins - but I'm sure the times will tumble as we are onto a 3rd generation spinnakers!