It amazes me how much effort Hobie Europe has put into finding the right boat to find a small cat market. Each new design cost a fortune in research and tooling to bring a finished product to market. Whether you like Hobie or not, just look at the lineup of boats on this page. I'd love to try them all! And I wish I was a 10 year old Hobie test sailor!

For a 12 foot spin boat check out the Hobie Advance.

Hobie Europe product page

I can see where you are coming from, but we would not recruit only from those coming out of the opti program. We would specifically try to hook those who did not make the soccer team, handball team or whatever. They dont have the same cultural blinders many others have and just need some gentle nudging to really get into the sport. I dont think recruiting would be a big problem. At least that is my experience from other sports and from training a replacement crew on our Tornado. He get into the T at age 15, and loved the boat and the experience.
It is very true that cats are easier to control than skiffs, which makes them perfect for recruiting, training and fun. If they decide to get into a 29er, 49er, foiling moth or whatever and seriously race instead of an F16 after the "program".. Great! If they come to the F16, perfect! Either way the club and the sport wins and they know what cats are about.

How many F12 do you want, when and what are you ready to pay.
I am investing all my freetime for the moment in the F12 and I don't think I am the only one.
Btw. start to consider going back to mono and sell my Blade.

We would need three boats to begin with, then add more if we have success. Price, about the same as the Topaz or Dart. NOK76000 is a number I have heard mentioned. Not sure if a ply F12 is the way to go with this project though.
The F12 work you are doing, actually implementing a boat instead of just talking about it, is brilliant!

Why do you consider selling the Blade and going back to monos, or is that better discussed in private? Loosing you would be a real loss!

NOOO!
Life is too short to sail monos

Rolf, if you're serious about the Topaz 14, give Rob White a call. He's very keen to get some boats out and being seen. PM me if you want his contact info.

John,

have to sell the idea to the board etc. etc first. Just on the idea stage for now, that is why I posted here in the first place. We are having a meeting in april to try and hammer out a strategy.

Rolf,

I'll sell you five fully rigged roto-moulded DS12s for NOK20,000 each (plus shipping). However, I need to wait until we get a couple on the water before committing to a mould. JeffS got a head start but I believe Gato has passed him on the outside. The plywood DS12s have a layer of glass over the outside and two layers on the bottom to help them withstand inexperienced drivers.

It seems like it would be possible to sell the ply DS12 for something around 2500-3000 euros, ready to sail woerk included.
As it looks now it should take no more than 40 hours to put one together.

I still remember being rediculed by the Aussies for believing and stating that a F12 could be build ready to sail for less then 100 hours. Same for price.

I guess I'll receive an appology from them soon.

Wouter

Well, in normal homebuilding mode it will take 150-200 hours. Stil, the DS12 is very easy and fast to build, hope it will be as fast on the water <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

If it is light enough then it will beat the laser dinghy hands down when rigged with the same sail area, that is quite impressive. It is afterall a small boat and of equal length to the laser.

Personally I believe the F12's (DS12's) are going to be a hoot, especially when there are a few around. Just like go-karting. Small, agile, quick to rig, easy to master and heaps of fun even on small waters.

I love youe building gallery, Gato !

Wouter

I will put the hull on the scales next week, but I have the feeling the final result will be on the mark or under.