Scooby,
No formula class is actually ruling on the daggerboards in the way SCHRS requires. Actually, the only rules I know off are min. weight rules on the daggerboards. Go to the F18 rules or F20 rules, A-cat rules etc and you will find none of them helping you out.
It was a concious decision in the beginning of the F16 class to NOT rule on the boards in these specifics. We did however include the rule :
1.6.3 All performance calculations, such as handicap ratings, shall be performed as if a platform has daggerboards or centerboards, even though a particular design may have neither of them.
So this address part of your point. The 1.05 rating is not possible.
With respect to F18 - F16 comparisons at large regatta's. I differ in opinion that this data is more dependable. Everybody who is anybody will be sailing on F18's, not on F16's. So this will most certainly skew the data in favour of the F16's by resulting in a handicap number that is much slower then the F16's, as a boat design, are.
Besides, in my club races we see sailors/teams that really do sail well in larger regatta's. F18 crew was 3rd two weeks ago in a 25 boat fleet, and the A-cat sailor became 5th in the Belgium A-cat nationals last weekend (22 boats). Both get regulary beaten by a 3rd F18 crew who are our club champions and another F18 team who are upper mid fleet sailors in the best Dutch F18 regatta's (30 - 50 boats). The skill level associated with the F16 crews at my club is noticeably lower and that includes myself. Still, we're the next boats over the line behind them and we're getting closer and closer.
I think we must not forget that a truly fair comparison will only be possible when the F16's get equally well trained crews on the boats. Guys like Daniel van Kerckhof and other talented Taipan sailors. These were in the top 10 of the F18 worlds and they will be able to sail the F16's to their full potential. Or otherwise guys like John Pierce (Stealth marine). Guys like John and Daniel, sailing their stealth and Taipan clean our F16's clocks as well. So we know how much more speed is in these boats above what normal recreational crews are displaying. Our current problem is not the F16 concept or the boats, but not having REALLY talented crews on the F16's. Compare us with the F18 class that does have plenty of these and you'll only fool yourselfs.
Truly in all honesty I can say that I'm level racing with F18 crews of my standing and slightly above. This proofs to me that the F16 rating under Texel is pretty accurate.
Wouter
