F16 is truly a FAD. No big name sailors in the class. This is the fact and cannot be disputed.
Bob <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
2006 Golden Spoon Award Winner
First of all, I think this is the most mean spirited post I have ever read on a message board.
The reasons I don’t think the F16 is a FAD are:
1. It is the only boat that is specifically designed for sailing alone and with crew. I feel that teamwork is one of the most enjoyable parts of sailing, but I also understand that it is sometimes hard to find a backup crew that has a dry suit when your regular crew can’t make it.
2. Not everyone can make the minimum F18 weight. Coed couples who are fit and not super tall come to mind.
3. Not everyone wants to drop 20k on a boat that they can’t share with their loved ones or their friends.
There is defiantly a market there
I think this is classic catsailor. We need to work on limiting the poo slinging. If I had come to this site and asked for a boat recommendation and saw what happened it might have scared me away.
Matt
You all understand that Bob's original post was sarcasim, meant to torque Wouter, in direct response to Wouter's statements that the A cat sailors (of which Bob is sometimes one) don't have depth or tallent or words to that effect, based on the A cat placings in mixed fleets at their Alter Cup Qualifiers.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The A cat racers here in the US are some of the best and as someone pointed out, the class is full of US National and World Champions. I think the real reason they don't place well against spinnaker cats in mixed fleet racing is the spinnaker itself. The race doesn't end at the A mark and most spin. boats will easily pass them downwind if they are close at the A mark.
So the debate should be about how to score non-spinnaker boats against spinnaker boats, because the P numbers do not do the A cats justice if there is much downwind work in a race.
Still, if any A cat sailors are to compete in the 2007 Alter Cup, they will be sailing a Blade F16, with crew, so I guess they can strut their stuff there.
Has Bob qualified for the Alter Cup? And if Matt and Gina win the race, will they then be considered "Big name sailors"? Or do they have to win something on an A cat first?
Of course the simple answer is to add a spinnaker to the A cat and watch them fly downwind. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
