Pete:

Maybe I can simplify this for you.

1. If you want the highest quality class racing, no question the A-class is the choice. Other than the Tornado class, you will not see as much depth in any other class. At our 42 boat US Midwinter race week, there were four Olympians (three were medalists), 3 world champions, at least 8 sailors who had won national or North American titles, and then a bunch who have consistently finished in the top echelon of various class championships. The racing is not boring at all!
2. The F-16 is a great package. As a two man sloop, I believe it has the potential with the right sailors to be faster than the F18 except in light air (the F18 pays a big penalty with its weight if the crew is not on the wire). Once the F-16 is powered up, it rolls. The A-cat is always faster upwind but is not as fast downwind in over 6-7 knots. Even though it is lighter, it cannot keep back over twice the sail area the F-18's and F-16's have at hand. If you want a boat that you can race with 1 or 2 persons and really want a spinnaker, the F-16 is probably the better choice for you.
3. An A-cat is as durable as an F-18 or F-16. The boat does not have to built as heavy because the loads are lighter due to the rig and it is designed for singlehanding. I've owned three boats and they were all excellent. You should get easily a minimum 5-7 year competitive life from your investment.
4. The A-class does not want spinnakers for class racing. The racing itself is very tactical without them and the class loves the simplicity. Jennifer Lindsey (an excellent F-16 sailor) got an A-cat because of that simplicity. Yes, spinnaker boats are great (I've sailed many) but I've never found the A-cat boring at all. You really have to put the time in the A-cat to be fast downwind and I love the challenge of refining my downwind technique in the boat. I've toyed with the idea of a spinnaker for my A-cat but am quite happy leaving the boat the way it is. I'd rather have the quick setup and rigging time and focus on refining my boatspeed for class racing which I enjoy the most.

Hope this viewpoint helps.

Bob Hodges
A2 USA 230