Hello John,
How are you doing ? Pretty good I gather because your name is all over the catsailor forums !
I can answer a few questions that Jeff left unanswered..
If you go to google.com and punch in something like F16 class than the first hits are to our website. That is above all other hits with respect to F16 fighting falcon airplane and F16 welding tape and sorts.
you've seen references to other F16 forums ? I don't know of any others but i would surely like to visit them. I do know that sometimes where have clippings from the Taipan 4.9 forum which is at : Yahoo!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taipan/The list of boats included in the class at this time are :
Stealth Marine F16
AHPC Taipan 4.9 Spi (full Goodall F16 rig on request)
Blade F16 (To be launched in 2003; seen some previews looks good)
These will be fully competitive boats and be available to USA sailors in 2003.
Than compliant or grandfathered boats available on specific demand.
BCM Energy Regate
Swell catamarans Spitfire
Bim 16 / Javelin 16
And we close the list of with the newbies (without a confirmed measurement form yet)
Ventilo Zipo
Mattia Dynacat 16
And then there are some two "possibilties" but they are still some time away from realisation if at all.
With respect to imports. Indeed, they are still all imports and the class would love to welcome one of the 3 American based builders to design and build an F16. But for now that decision is for them to make. Maybe you have some good connection in one of those three companies ?
With respect to decent second hand boats I give you Helen Sharrocks (AHPC) latest list of available secondhanders.
AUS 260 - 12 months old, glass hulls, carbon foils, coloured tramp, beach trolley & stern supports - $15,300
AUS 258 - 12 months old, kevlar hulls, carbon foils, coloured tramp, beach trolley & stern supports - $15,400
USA 283 - BRAND NEW (hasn't hit the water yet!) - being sailed by Jennifer Lindsay from US at the Nationals. kevlar hulls, carbon foils, carbon stocks, coloured tramp, beach trolley & stern supports - $17,600
AUS 136 - 1997 - glass hulls, glass foils - Price negotiable..... Needs some TLC, Range $8,000 - $9700: depending on how much TLC you want us to give it before you take it.)
The exchange rate at this time is such that to buy 15.000 Aus$ you'll need just less than 8500 USD (inc traders margin)
Still have to ship it though.
But indeed, you'll be very hard pressed to find a second hand Taipan in the USA. The secondhanders we had thus far (one in dec 2001 and one in okt 2002) were both sold within 2 weeks.
But ofcourse you will also have to option of buying new :
I refer to the postings of Eric Poulsen for more info on that :
http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...amp;Main=13153&Search=true#Post13153http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...;page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1Michael Coffman is a good source to contact if you are looking to ship a secondhander to the USA and also Chip Zenke will be a very good source on new boats of different makes.
With the new webpage we try to make all this info publically available so that everyone can quickly see what the situation is.
Anyways, there are always F16/Taipan skippers looking for crews in the bigger events so you and your wife could also hook up with two skippers and do some inexpensive sailing.
My advice would be to establish close stay in contact when you are serious about one option or another because the class has always been able to arrange "something".
have some fair winds and do some wintersailing for the both of us John,
wouter