Hi all

Here is my biased view, as a long time 18HT sailor and former skiffie.

I agree with most that has been said. I guess the lack of a class promoter and manufacture in the US is currently the big minus for the 18HT class! The other problem is that most 18HT's are sold by the manufacture directly, so there is no big support from your local dealer. If you wan't somebody to promote your boats it's got to be reasonable!

But I don't agree, with the opinions that the 18HT is a misconception at all.
The 18HT is different compared to most catamarans, because it is overpowerd and lite. THIS is what is part of the fun! The 18HT is very lively and fun to sail, mutch more like skiff, but allot more managable. Has mutch more power than a F16 2up or a F18 2up. Capsize happens often (at least when I'm sailing ) and the 18HT is very easy to right, because of the carbonmast, the narrow width and the long mast. because capsize is not a problem, you can sail at full risk and have all the fun.
I sailed around Texel twice, once in winds around 6+ Bft. when only 300 boats from 650 finished. Our crew weight was with 130kg / ~260 pounds on the lite side. So the 18HT is still truly managable (but not faster) in higher winds.

I think that the current Bimare Javelin design is under estimated. IMO it is a very good allround boat, fast under most conditions. The Javelin 18HT was designed from the scratch, it is completly different compared to his predecessor. Nothing has been cut off at the bow. The newer 18HT designes coudn't proof that they have a advantage yet. Also the pimped up gunboat was not faster at the ICCT in New Orleans.

Downsides of the Javelin are, a simple, but very lite rudder system, that dosn't kick up when running aground.
It is also true, that it is possible when sailing on the Javelin, to hit with the rearbeam the back of a wave. It happend also on my old ventilo and happend on the Tapian 4.9 I sailed with. All very fine boats!

Besides I think the quality of the Javelins I have seen is just fine. I have not seen any hull breakages so far. The stability is just as good or better than any A-Cat I have seen. On the lake of constance we sometimes have a lot of wood drifting around and a friend of mine hit a tree with his A-Cat at speed. He split one of his hulls.
It happend to us also, but we were lucky enough and only had a jump into the drink...

It may sound like I'm owning a Bimare, but I actually have never owned one. I'm looking forward to my new boat, which will be a Mattia 18HT.

BTW, wouter: the are only very few boats that sail with a 10.5m mast, most of us use a 10m mast now.
All the best from Switzerland!