Has anyone had any experience with import/export of cats?
Was thinking of getting a second hand F17 and getting it shipped to Australia because they are so hard to find here.
Any suggestions/help appreciated
Thanks
Chocko

With all the excellent cats already available in Australia, why would you want to go to all that trouble?

Get a taipan 4.9, for the money you would spend importing a f17 will get an excellent example.

the taipan will have better backup support, good class racing and is better machine all round.

Well, There is an Inter 17 already here, and when you say in Australia, it is a big country and I live about 1700klms away from the nearest manufacturer (Nacra). The guys from Nacra are great and come up here 3-4 times per year due to the F18 fleet.
I can appreciate the 4.9 suggestions, but they are all down south, and I can't fault the back up service from Nacra that everyone up here gets.
I have spoken to Nacra about a F17 import, they can even put wings on them here, but they have some great stuff in the pipeline that I'm waiting to see.
I see the F17 second hand goes around 10-12K US. a Brand new one is about $22K AUS delivered. I have never sailed a boat that can be pushed as hard as an F17, hence I'm willing to spend the cash to get one, and the wings are awesome.
Does anyone know how much they pay to get the gelteks from Aus to US?

Check your yardstick Dazz and you will see the I17 smokes a 4.9 Taipan


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VYC Catamaran Yardsticks
Class Reliable Probable Tentative
A Class 72.50
Alpha Omega 4.3 88.00
Alpha Omega 5.0 82.00
Arafura 113.00
Arrow 90.50
Aquakat 87.00
Calypso 14A 93.00
Calypso 14R 92.50
Calypso 16 85.50
Calypso 4.4 85.00
Caper Cat 103.00
Cobra 84.50
Dolphin 85.00
Gemini 88.00
Hobie 14 94.50
Hobie 16 81.50
Hobie 17 82.00
Hobie 17 Sport 79.00
Hobie 18 78.00
Hobie 20 73.00
Hobie Turbo 88.50
Hurricane 5 76.00
Hydra 85.00
Impara 113.00
Kitty Cat 99.00
Maricat 4.0 Cat 111.00
Maricat 4.0 Super Sloop 100.00
Maricat 4.3 Cat 94.00
Maricat 4.3 Sloop 92.00
Maricat 4.3 Super Sloop 88.50
Maricat 5.0 80.00
Mosquito (All) 84.00
Nacra 14 sq 84.50
Nacra 16 sq 80.00
Nacra 18 sq 73.50
Nacra 4.5 88.00
Nacra 5.0 81.00
Nacra 5.2 79.00
Nacra 5.5 73.50
Nacta Int 17 72.50
Nacra 5.8 72.00
Paper Tiger 91.50
Quest B2 80.00
Quest B3 74.00
Scat 96.00
Solcat 18 87.00
Solo 16 90.00
Stingray Mk2 75.00
Sundance 5.0 84.00
Taipan 4.9 Cat 76.00
Taipan 4.9 Sloop 73.50
Taipan 5.7 70.00
Tornado 69.00
Windrush 14 Cat 92.50
Windrush 14 Sloop 90.50
Windrush 14 Super Sloop 87.50
Yvonne 88.50




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Ah.....but which of the many versions of the N/I/F 17 does that rating refer to? Isn't it about time that Nacra got an F17 measured for rating purposes?

Yardsticks in Aus are done on results not measurement. When a new class comes along a yardstick is negotiated then refined as the results come in.

The pdf attached has a lot of good info including which yardsticks are reliable.
Darryn
Mozzie
1782

yo don't really want to go down this path do you? its a little bit prickly!

The main problem with the VYC yardsticks is the lack of updates. the guy behind them has now quit after a great many years of excellent work. but realistically they have seen very little updates in the last 5 years.

how about I poke a few holes for you.....

the taipan 4.9 got a new sail plan, the boat is dramatically faster.. the vyc unchanged

the maricat has been changed in construction, they are MUCH lighter and stiffer... the vyc unchanged

the nacra 5.8 is built lighter every year, the big jib was introduced in mid nineties.. the vyc unchanged

the b14 skiffs nearly doubled the size of their rigs... guess what.. they actually got 1 VYC point added..

I would suggest at the current VYC of a taipan 4.9 sailing on corrected time the F17 would be smoked week in week out.

Is that why an Inter 17 beat an F18 at the North Queensland Nacra Championships? I think you under estimate the Inter. I have seen this thing with its nose well and truely buried and still driving with more available, amazing boat. I don't dislike the 4.9 taipan, and in no way doubt that they are fast, but i would put the Inter up against any 16 footer, VYC or not.
Up here, North QLD is Nacra country.

Ah.....but which of the many versions of the N/I/F 17 does that rating refer to? Isn't it about time that Nacra got an F17 measured for rating purposes?
That rating was for the Aussie made I17 which has F18 jib and 22Sq Mts F18 Spinnaker with wing mast and smaller square top main than F18. That version is now not available in Aus as Nacra Aus shipped the moulds to Nacra in America where they have been upgraded. Now with less rocker, hulls have been canted, beams are stiffer, completley new rig including F18 carbon fiber mast etc. A far superior version than my old I17 according to Nacra here, this is what you get when you order a F17 in Aus now the imported Amercian version, what its yardstick is I have no idea I spose bob currey may know, dont know if they have Taipan 4.9 there though so we probably will never know which one is faster, but I know that there quite a few F17`s on their way over here.

Would be interesting to see a match race at Tinaroo mate!!!!

F18s now have carbon fibre masts?

Am I mistaken or are there two kids in addition to the adults shown aboard in that video?

That is correct Rolf, there were 2 adults and 2 children on board.

Tuning: NACRA F17
Nacra F17 Carbon Mast Tuning Guide. Effective date: June 20, 2008
The information provided comes directly from years of testing and sailing.
By Bob Curry, 2004 / 2007 NACRA F17 North American Champion
Rudder Alignment
Rudder alignment should be set to 1/32”to no more than 1/8” toe in. With rudders down andlocked, measure fore & aft on the rudder, 12” down from the bottom of the lower castingandlevel with the bottom of the stern. The tiller arm to cross bar space should be equal on both starboard & port sides before tightening the set screws.
Daggerboard/Rudder Tuning
Careful tuning of the daggerboards and rudders is important to prevent cavitation. Rounding ofthe leading edge seems to be more important than getting the trailing edge sharp. For the trailing edge, thinning of the foil from about 1” forward to an edge about 1/16” thick seems to work best.
Daggerboards:
Upwind:
- Skipper sitting on the side> Boards totally down.
- Skipper hiking almost on trapeze > Boards totally down.
- Skipper on trapeze > Boards totally down.
- Skipper on trapeze and full cunningham > Raise the boards 6.0” up above the deck.
Downwind:
-Always raise the leeward board about 12.0” up above the deck and the weather board all the way leaving just enough board down to fill the trunk below the hull.
-Mast rotation always fully opened/released and enjoy the ride!
Rudder-rake/angle:
You turn the adjustable eye that is screwed into the lower rudder casting 1 ¼” out. You measure
between the black rudder case to the center of the adjustable eye. This is a good starting point for most skippers.
Mast Set-up
Spreader-angle:
With 175 lbs on board, recommend that you use 2 1/2” of spreader rake.
With 187 lbs on board, recommend that you use 2.0” of spreader rake.

And that the Taipan 4.9 get a rating that INCLUDES a spinnaker; just like the F17 ?


With respect to the European I-17 version matched against my Taipan F16; No contest; those EU I-17 are slower. They only have a Texel of 114 against 101 of the A-cat, F18's and F16's. More then 10% slower. The US version is significantly faster though. The australian version was a whole different beast altogether with kevlar hulls and a sloop rig (plus 30 kg lighter). But they don't make that version anymore.

Wouter

Thanks mate, that explains why Devons boat is great in a light breeze, plus he flies an F18 Spinnaker.......

.