But isn't that the whole idea of a Formulae class, if you want to be different you can, if you don't you can buy a stock boat. It seems a win win for all concerned.

But if you are replicating rather than reinventing, wouldn't buying the best off-the-shelf component (admittedly sourced overseas) be the best and most prudent option?

Macca,
What happened that made you have such a problem with the F16- or is it someone on the forum that pissed you off and then you generalized it to the F16?
Seriously, since I can relate with my own grudge against one of your "type."
pp

And is that not already the case,take sails for example. But still people want to reinvent the wheel and try and produce a product to their specs, nothing wrong in that by me.

No, I class sails as different, and probably will get a 10,000 word response why I am wrong.

Beams are just straight engineering in my opinion. Can measure all the forces and tensions in the design of it. But when others have already done this, why go to cost and time and effort to replicate when you can buy someone else's time and effort?

Sails on other hand can be catered to crew weights, sailing conditions etc. And also how you get the boat round the course. I thought the F16 catered for wide range of crew weights, which means sails should cater for this. Never heard of beams catering for this.

Taipanfc and macca are wrong, again, and continue to harass our class without having facts, just their own opinions. This is becoming their standard mode.

The project Scooby referred to was our Blade project. We have been unable to find suitable extrusions at a reasonable price. Shipping 6 beams from a source with reasonable price did not help much on total cost. Instead we sourced 40kgs of carbon fiber from an industrial outlet. Same with the epoxy. This proved to be affordable compared to alu beams since we paid industrial prices, not end user prices. To give an indication of costs for alu, so far our best price for an alu tube to use as a mould is US$170. This is for regular non tempered industrial alu tubing.

If we took you arguments to its conclusion then one would also engineer the beams to suit the crew weights. In the real world this just isn't going to happen or will only happen if an individual decides they want to totally design and build a boat to their specific requirements.

And thats where a minimum box rule set will allow all to play, the dedicated individual as well as the manufacturers.

Rolf, did I not say, "in my opinion" in my post??? So why inflame? I wasn't in that post.

That may have been the situation for yourself. I have also seen Scott in Singapore try and do what you have done/trying to do. In some cases, it didn't work out pretty and Scott can choose to elaborate. It isn't a simple process I see due to the torsional loading that the beam can see.

Rolf, Thankyou for sharing this; I did not wish to expalain my source in case they wished (i.e. you) the info to remain private.

As far as we are concerned this is a non issue.

Macca etc al, move on.

NO TECHNO BLATHER!! RACING ONLY! GO GET YOUR OWN THREAD!

My carbon beams worked out OK.

Pete-
As to your original question many pages down this lost, meandering thread- I have some experience racing unirigs against sloops- if they are passing you to weather either they came from way above you and are footing down on you or your boat is not tuned very well IMO. Either a good F16 or A cat uni should be able to outpoint an F18 or 20 in most conditions. SO- in case 1 above- I keep an eye over my shoulder - what you do NOT want them to do is "camp" above or above and just ahead of you- been there, done that! They will be feeding you bad air but unable to get clear ahead to continue to foot past you and you will both end up going slow- SO- I try to keep a lookout and if they will pass ahead of me I just let them- better to even drop a little sheet/traveler and slow a bit to let them get gone- they will disappear below you, if it appears they are on a course to intersect you then I will go into "point high as I can" mode- my intent is to get them to foot further and take my stern and if they are wise (and most are) they will take the offer- once they have committed to going below me then you can go back to VMG mode- Of course the other option is to tack away when you can IF that is a reasonable option given all other aspects.

Kirt

Anyone else? It looks like I'll be the only F16 at Carlisle

http://www.regattaprocessing.com/CCSC/Carlisle08/entry_list.php?PHPSESSID=8adoljsabr6l9779ff5adbk781