Hi,

I have been reading this forum quite some time and now I feel that I should introduce myself here. I'm building a Blade F16 so I'll join to F16 scene hopefully next June (assuming that she'll float). I'm from Finland and as far as I know my Blade will be first F16 here in Finland.

I have kept a blog about my project which you might find interesting.

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Valtteri

SWEET!!! Welcome to our madness circus. I cant wait to home build a F16 or an A cat. Hopefully with this new open source, everthing will work into place.

Congratulations on choosing F16 Valtteri! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I enjoyed reading your blog and looking at the pictures. Your project seems to be coming along well. When does your season start in Finland? I assume your new Blade will be in the water for 2007?

Good luck with the rest of your project, and do please keep us posted.

Great stuff - I've added a link to your blog from the F16 website.

Any chance of seeing you in Zandvoort next August?

Paul

Our sailing season depends mostly on weather, I would say that starting from december to march we cannot sail here in southern Finland. I wouldn't sail on november either if it's as cold as it's now.

Coming to Zandwoort is a possibility and it really depends on how much progress I'll be making with Blade. I have thought about coming there mainly because it would be interesting to compare my handworks speed to factory baked hulls <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

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Valtteri

Welcome to our community, Valtteri.

Can I now seduce you t place your pin at our world map ?

http://www.frappr.com/formula16classgroup


I too looked a your blog, a very nice read indeed.

You should also really consider coming out to the Zandvoort event. You'll learn heaps about these boats and how to sail them. This info is invaluable for your own sailing pleasure later. It will cut about 2 years of trying to find out things for yourself. Well worth the effort.

Best of luck.

Wouter

I added myself to frappr map. You can actually see our club pretty nicely from the satellite picture, that picture must have been taked at spring (most likely) or autumn because most keel and motor boats are on land.

I hope that I can keep my schedule so that it will be possible to participate to Zandvoort. I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to do that but problems are hard to predict in advance (they wouldn't be problems then <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />).

There will be a second Blade F 16 built in Finland this spring. Got the inspiration from Valtteri.
For the moment I am putting the last hand to a Minitransat 650, but the plans for the Blade are ordered.

Could you tell a bit more about your Minitransat650? (IMHO its the coolest monohull around!).

Yes, I second that. Those mini are way cool ! I want to see more of that project as well.

Wouter

Well, I don’t know if this is the right place to discuss minis…
But for a start you can visit http://www.gust.ax/gallery/ and have a look.

This is one very good source of information about the mini transat:
http://www.minitransat650.com

Great boat!

What design are you building?

Why didn't you go with the DUDLEY DIX design? I think is very popular and successful for DIY
http://www.dixdesign.com/didimini.htm

Good Luck

Nice. It'll be interesting to see how long does it take to build a Blade if you have more experience with boat building. Hopefully I can give some assistance to Gato and not the other way around <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

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Valtteri

Thanks alot.

I'll be checking your site more often in the future.

Looks like a very nice building project. I really do like those mini's.

Wouter

Valtteri is definitely too modest. Without him I would not be building a Blade in the first place.
My plans are only on their way from down under so it will still take some time before I start. I will try to put the Blade project on my site as well as the 6.50 project