But the salted pop tart shake was awesome.

On a wing mast, Chris, you release the cunningham to run and reach. The technique is different and I didn't learn it until the 2008 F18 Championship. I think as that technique dessiminates through the fleet, you'll see less mistakes made. I consider the wingmast an advancement in boatspeed and in sail tuning. I do not consider it a step backward in durability.

Bring the breeze a little more forward to a jib reach and the 20 will EAT the F18's.

Really, because I have not really seen that in racing. The N20 maybe more dive resistant but in capable hands the F18 sure doesn't seem to reach any slower then the EU N20's. Of course if there is one course where a tall mast or (even) more sail area doesn't count then it must be the beam reach. See the Hobie 16 design for details.

As far as I can tell, but please correct me, the N20 has two sweet spots and that is downwind spi sailing (especially in rough conditions) and sailing in light winds. Although in the last case the performance difference to the F18's has gotten really small due to better sail development in the F18's.

Upwind in normal conditions and even the F16's keep up with the N20's. Or at least I do whenever I find the time to get on my boat and we all know that THAT says something. Also Matt McD. kept up with JC on the N20 a few times. Personally, I have a few tales about sailing through their lee's even. Upwind the N20's don't have much at all or at least in my humble experience.

Now, I don't really have a dog in this fight but it does appear that the F18 has a more alround performance profile and may be the preferred choice for any distance racing if the wind conditions are not really known in advance.

Wouter

In my opinion the quality of the EP sails are not very good. We had the head pull out of a brand new I20 main during the Steeple Chase causing us to retire on the first day. The trip to the regatta cost so much and was wasted with using such poor quality EP sails. We have never had a sail fail on any of the Infusions that we have owned with the performance sails. EP does not sew in any straps like the Performance sails you have to do that on your own and now it sounds like you have to have your kite stitched. It seems like you have to do a lot of work to brand new sails if you buy from EP. EP has known about the grommets pulling out for years but yet they still don't sew straps in there sails.

I take it all back.

Oh Dazz man... that my friend is clearly an Infusion with a folded mast.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F9j0NIV9-EA/ShTGab-6dFI/AAAAAAAAA20/9_FuqEQvH38/s1600-h/DSC01660.JPG

Dave,

Go easy on him - they only sail their crude locally produced catamarans in the colonies and have only read about such thoroughbred machines as Infusions on the Internet :P