Q1: At SF Bill and I rig my spi which was very similar in size to Gregs 17 sq. mtr. spi. (I was only slighly bigger around the edges.) was rigged to the end of the pole which was at the same height above the ground as the bridle intersection.



I don't know how much forward it was with respect to the Bridle intersection. I estimate somewhere about 2.15 mtr in front of the Bridle intersection on a Taipan platform. I've calculated this value.



Another example; I will place the tip of my pole at the same height as the current bridle intersection on a Taipan now. My pole will be 3.55 mtr. long and be 3.55 - (1.37 - 0.11) = 2.29 mtr. in front of my bridle intersection. My spi draw will become 7 to 7.1 mtr. with that. My luff will be over 8 mtr. with that. I expect some 8.5 mtr.



Q2 : I think I remember measuring my setup to 5.3 kg's including everything (manual bag launch system)



Q3 : ?



Q4 : As Geert says, it will come out when it is measured at texel.



Q5 : Again Geert said it best ; however I can add the following considerations to the minimum weight of 100 kg's



A standard Taipan with F16 spi comes out at 0.68 % rating disadvantage. This is within the 1 % margin that we had given ourselfs in the very beginning.



A Taipan 4.9 with F16 spi and F16 mainsail but with standard jib comes out at 0.27 % rating disadvantage.



These points are valid but not the most interesting :



For a while I hear rumours that the shape and size of the Taipan 4.9 jib is discussed. Some sailors want to increase its size and maybe alter its shape. That is what is rumoured, but I have no idea how likely it is that this will happen. However, the 100 kg's and the rating that comes would allow the "new" Taipan jib to have a luff of 5.25 mtr. and and area of 4.3 sq.mtr. and come out at the same rating as the F16 class.



Personally I think that the Stealth without the spi gear will weight in at 95 kg's and not 93 kg's as Texel estimates. I also feel that the Euro Taipan (with carbon mast) that used to be offered would have a spi-less weight of 102 - 4 kg's = 98 kg's (based on measurements and quotes by Pieter Saarberg). All in all a pure F16 and a Taipan F16 can be expected to be only a very few kg's apart.



This was also a reason why some (including myself) may have voted for the 100 kg's limit.



And now some extra info for the Techies among us



As some may know, i'm looking at beams now for my own boat and found that a standard Taipan beam ex dolphin striker



13.5 * 2.34 / 8.5 = 3.72 kg.



3.72 / (1.4 / 8.5 * 2 * 0,002 * 2.34) = weight / volume = density alloy = 2413 kg /cubic mtr.



A stronger and stiffer alloy round beam (ex striker) of 0.075 mtr diameter with a wall thickness of 2 mm (equal to the Taipan beam) and of F16 full 2.5 mtr. length (longer) will weight in at :



0.075 * Pi * 0.002 * 2.5 * 2413 = 2.84 kg



(Bob what do you think ?)



So it should be possible to shave off a few Kg's here and there and end up on mimimum weight with a new boat. But ofcourse this doesn't help the standard Taipan 4.9 owners much. However, they get to use the larger jib to compensate for their 7 kg's extra weight under the grandfather rule.



And ofcourse Bimare pretty much garanteed that their boats would make this minimum weight.



These points need to be considered before opening up the minimum weight discussion again.



With kind regards,



Wouter