Why do you want to make it like the F18 class rule?

The worlds largest builders played an enormous role in generating a 400 lb 18 foot boat. Successful class ...yes... (why because it became a good game and fit the middle weight band of the market with major builder support) Do you think Hobie cat WANTED it this way... Or would they have preferred their SMOD business model? Heck they are still trying to keep that model going in the USA!

Are the F18's great boats?... certainly a matter of opinion...


Now the F16 class does NOT have Hobie and Performance building boats to the rule now... In fact... the two major builders appear to ignore the rule and hope to build better mousetraps in the 17 foot range... they try to market the hell out of them and they want to undercut the F16 niche... Hey... Its just business. and IF they get a SMOD critical mass it ensures easy profits... Just ask the US I20 fleet about... the Performance only equipment rule)

I think you need to make a much better argument then... It worked for the F18's... Since the situations are entirely different (Small builders… existing F18 Class etc etc) ... the solutions are likely to diverge from the F18 path.

In the USA... critical mass on the beach is NOT trivial. How many times do the Tornado's generate at least a 10 boat fleet? How many times do the Nacra 20's generate a 10 boat fleet. The F18’s did well this year BUT… count the number of events with F18’s (Hobie or NAF18) Heck... how about a 5 boat fleet? The answer... NOT many...

It seems to me a strategy of loosening the box and getting more boats to play will grow the class. Calling the process, grandfathering, or waivers or whatever, is just semantics. F16's and I17's single handed on the race course even up is a win if you get 10 boats.
F16's and all of the other's even up on the race course is a win as well.

Your real problem is if those boats are simply not competitive in the even up game… When the owner's can't afford to upgrade to the F16 and don't come out to play anymore then you have a problem. (See what happened to the F20 fleet when one design kicked everyone’s butt…bottom line… it never took off. You actually hope that they are close enough that the owner remains interested in the game... ONE DAY... they will decide its time to try the better optimized design.