As far as I'm concerned, the H16 is the daddy!

BUT, once you discover what a modern boat is like to sail, I'm afraid the H16 becomes a beach boat that you hire while on holiday. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Yes, it's got good class racing and some real good sailors, but if the weapon of choice had been a Shark or a Paper Tiger/Shearwater/Lynx or any of those 'state of the art' cats from the 60s and they'd grown instead of the H16 then we'd be having the conversation about one of them. That doesn't make any of them the best racing class though (or the best anything).

The best boat for any sailor is the boat that suits their lifestyle/pocket/need at the stage that they are at. For some that'll be an Aquacat or (God forbid) a Peanut (anyone remember them?). For others it'll be a H14 or 16 or 18. For many it's F18 or Tornado. I, and others, find the flexibility of F16 to be our preference. None of them can really be called the best boat though.

I don't mind rivalry or informed comment even on a bickering thread, but I find some of the comments to be verging on plain ignorant (and I'm not referring to you Pat over your tongue in cheek H16 comment). If a thread heads off into anarchy as this particular thread has the potential to do, no-one will win. It's just divisive, and with the post about declining catsailing in the US, that's the last thing any of you should want.

Rant over.