F14's at Sauna Sail?

Hi Darryl,

are we going to see the AO F14 at the Sauna Sail, it's time to give them a run in Vic. and see how they go against those good old Mossies <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />. Happy to organise for the F14's to be in the same division to make sure they have something to race against.

Promise to turn on some good weather for the boys. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> remember the water will be warmer than the air, makes getting wet much better this time of year. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Regards Gary. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hi all,

have attached pic of AO F14 at Sauna Sail, full results can be found here www.topyachtsoftware.com/results/2006/saunasail/series.htm

Regards Gary. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Nice photo Gary, (but how did you sail AND carry a camera Hee Hee)

I don't see the AO in the results? wasup?

the first three races were the only races that we competed in, and the third was a real "bummer" for us for several reasons. Check out the elapsed times for the first two races Berny and count the cats "across the line" behind the F14 Alpha Omega.
On the results they list the F14 Alpha as Alpha Omega 4.3 with spinn named "lone Wolf",(the attachment above doesn't open, I can never seem to make any attachment work on this site!)
www.topyachtsoftware.com/results/2006/saunasail/series.htm

Yes, pretty impressive.

It should give anyone thinking about a "high performance" 14' cat, an idea of just what sort of potential is available when it comes to competing head to head with EVERY other size of "off the beach cat” Berny. What I can't understand is why would anyone want to buy any cat that doesn't accommodate the current available technologies and design parameters that obviously optimise the performance potential available right now. There seems almost to be a “wall” of resistance against obvious improvements.
When a 14’ cat can go out and regularly beat cats of much larger dimensions, power, and cost, (not to mention weight, or lack of it with the A class – which we beat all three of), ACROSS THE LINE, it should say something, right. I mean to say, you did it 5 or 6 years ago with your 430 in its non spinnaker form by stepping up to an entirely higher performance than any of the other 14’ cats (and not just a few larger ones as well) that you sailed against, and now with the spinnaker you have the potential to “mix it with the big boys” on an equal basis. What the performance of an F14 says to me mostly is that there is still an awful lot of performance improvement available in the designs of all the larger classes of cats racing today that we are just not seeing in the current designs.

Yes the 430 (now F14) was somewhat ahead of it's time in '99. The big square top, flat-ish bottom curve, no 'V', 50% main beam, 25ft mast on a 14, 2.4m beam on a 14, wing mast with spreader and diamonds on a 14, 140sq ft 5 batten main on a 14, uni rig with trap on a 14, all fairly progressive for the time.

Mate I don't think there is the same 'wall of resistance' outside of Oz.

Shame we aren't based in Europe or the USA.