Dear readers,
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<br>This forum has been requested by a group of sailors from the USA, EU and Australia. Most of of are 16 foot sailors and were, prior to getting together in this F16 HT, already experimenting with genakers and 1-up / 2-up sailing.
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<br>The spark started a few months ago on the old Catsailors forum, where it was noticed that two boats types were very similar in dimensions and predicted performance. It was also noticed that these designs were holding their ground with respect to bigger and larger catamarans. This together with the rise to fame of A-cats and single handed sailing resulted in an initiative to focus these individual efforts and to arrive at a new scene (class?) in which the above named points are incorporated. The name F16 HT standing for Formula for 16 foot High Technology beachcats was coined. The HT extention to set it apart from a possible F16 class in the future which will be more oriented to the beginner and youth sailing part of the cat scene. The HT also indicates the higher level of design and optimization required of the catamaran builders.
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<br>The F16 HT boats will be like sloop rigged A-cats with a genaker which can also be raced as solo genaker boats within the F16 HT framework by leaving the jib ahore. The F16HT will be a class without splitting up the scene once more by using the Equal Performance Class concept. But for more in dept information we refer you to :
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<br>http://www.geocities.com/kustzeilen/F16HT.html
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<br>and
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<br>http://www.geocities.com/F16HTclass/
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<br>This forumpage will be used to ask for your opinions and to let you have an influence on the final version of the class rules and the setup of the class as a whole. It is hoped that this forumpage will also function as a discussion on how to modify the named candidate boats so that they are grandfathered in this F16 HT framework.
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<br>We invite everybody to give their opinion, both negative and positive, so that this class will be setup according to the likes and dislikes of the sailors. We will react to the points raised.
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<br>Now we hope to have a fruitful discussion and to present a new class to the scene to fill the nice now left open.
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<br>(Speaking for the F16 HT group)
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<br>Wouter Hijink
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