As an outsider looking in, the way you have just put things, as long s a manufacturer makes a boat roughly 16' long and "near enough" to the rules, and is friendly with the local F16 president, it should be able to sail.

The idea of special dispensation to allow existing boats that were around prior to F16 and other boats that may have been made redundant due to rule changes is fine. Making allowances for new and future designs that don't comply with the rules is mad.

Why don't you just have a Formula catamaran class and let everybody sail? On the other hand, can you publish a list of non-negotiable rules, those that are optional and then those that are ignored?

Michael