I will try to explain you more in details the reasons why the X16 will not fit the F16HP class rules.
Not all differences will make the X16 non-compliant with F16
a)as Hans wrote, the X16 will resemble very closely the new V1 A cat;
They can make it look like a International Sea Container and still be F16 compliant if it falls within the maximum dimensions set.
b)the width of the boat is still to be set but for sure it will be in the 2,30-2,45 m range;
I have no doubt that they will decide for 2.3 (= A-cat width) again, however that is allowed under F16 rules and so won't void F16 compliance.
c)the weight of the X16 (ready to sail with furling hooter) will fall between 90 and 95 Kg;
That is what they claim. I want to see an independent measurement form before I believe that. Passed experience with measured Bim boats don't suggest it will be under 100 kg. If it is no lighter then 97 kg then it is still F16 compliant with the maximally allow 7 kg of corrector weight strapped to the mainbeam.
d) the retail price of a complete X16 (carbon mast) will be set between EUR 12.000 and 12.500.
No F16 class rule on retail pricing. By the way is this including the spinnaker, because if it isn't then the uni-rigged F16's will actually be cheaper then the X16. I sort of expected the X16 to be cheaper then that.
I don’t know (and I suspect BIMARE too) the amount of the F16s sold in 2007 in Europe (the exchange rate prevents any sale of European boats in the USA).
Now divide this amount by 2 (on the generous assumption that the F16 market is fairly divided between sloop rigged and unirigged boats). Now divide this amount again by 4 or 5 (the presumable market quote that BIMARE can get in 2008: at the end BIMARE can expect to place only 4 to 5 boats in the F16 market (not an great deal).
And why should they expect to sell more boats in the very same market by being very similar to the F16's without being fully optimized F16's ?
On the contrary with the X16 BIMARE aims to get the bulk of quite an interesting market, (at least in Germany and Switzerland according to BIMARE importers): the market of singlehanded sailors willing to sail fast both upwind and downwind on the German and Swiss lakes, with a boat very very close in performance to an A cat fitted with an asymmetric, but a lot cheaper, not so weak and more forgiving. According to BIMARE estimates this market is worth 40-50 boats a year.
In that case these sailors would all jump onto the F16's. That X16 will have to be 90 kg ready to sail including the spinnaker gear to even match the handicap rating (=performance) for the F16 in 1-
up attire.
Bimare has always been claiming to sell 40-50 boats of any design they have launched. In case of the Javelin-16 (which they are now replacing) they even claimed on this forum that they already had close to 50 orders in the first year. Yet we have never seen a Javelin-16 in any race-results or pictures that wasn't the prototype.
I've found that Bimare will claim alot of things but that doesn't mean that these are supported by reality.
The attention reserved by many reputed German and Swiss sailmakers to A class asymmetrics testifies in favour of the a.m. statement together with the escalating sales of singlehanded skiffs in the same countries.
What is an A class asymmetric ? At this time these are just scaled down F18 or Tornado spinnakers, nothing more. All the development in spinnakers is made there, with now also very small amount in the F16 class.
Also the BIM 16 and the Javelin 16 were suited for the same market but were unable to catch this market for two main reasons: 1) they came somewhat in advance of time and they felt short of expections of the potential purchasers (they were simply perceived as small cats lacking of the cool “racing” look).
Yeah, that must be it. Why didn't the F16's arrive at the same market ahead of time ? Why were we able to establish outselfs the world over in the period 2001-2007 where the Bim-16 and Javelin-16 could not ?
The X16 on the contrary will be in full a 16’ A cat fitted with a revised (new design, new cloth, new gear) hooter wholly suited to win the bet. Let’s wait and see.
I'm anxiously awaiting for any hooter design to beat an "normal" asymmetric around a windward-leeward course. Over the years we have invited several people to proof the concept using a plain F16 flatform fitted with a hooter, but as of yet no takers. The latter is surprising as Rick White himself sails a Taipan 4.9 with a hooter and the Javelin-16 would have easily gotten dispensation from me for such an experiment.
You know, I've been hearing the same claims and promises from the Italian yard for a very long time now. Without exception the projects all failed. The jury is still out on the X4 (F18) but as of yet it isn't making an impact. They can still achieve a perfect score of failures.
It is actually the part that baffles me. They keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results. By now they should be learning from their mistakes.
the only parts that BIMARE A class and the new X16 will have in common are the mainsail, the rudder stocks and blades. The mast has a quite different stratification to bear the charges of the hooter and of the occasional crew.
If the masts are different anyway, why then not make it an F16 carbon mast ?
BIMARE has a full range of A cats (the cheap AJ/V1 listed at EUR 13.500 (fiberglass-vinylster), the medium priced carbon-vinylester V1 listed at EUR 16.000, the epoxi-carbon V1 listed at EUR 17.500): however none of them is tailored to fit the a.m. market.
As there is no A class assymetric !
Neither will the X16 be tailored for the assymmetric market if they get the A-cat mainsail and an (shortened) A-cat hull shape. It is best to design an assymmetric boat from the bottom up. There are significant differences between F16's hulls and A-cat hulls and there are good reasons for that.
Well, I guess I better stop posting on this topic now. Won't do any good to repeat the points that have already been made earlier.
Best of luck and winds to anyone !
Wouter
