Here's a question... who came up with the formula? Seriously. Go back far enough and there's probably like one or two guys who got behind the original concept. And when was the last significant change to the formula? I don't mean changing the dimensions of the paddle or limits on carbon fiber, but substantive changes like hull width or volume.
Check out http://www.f18-international.org/history.htm for a brief history of the F18 class. AFAIK there have been no major changes of the class rules beyond the control of snuffer tubes, allowing self tackers and control of sail materials.
