F16 Effect Crew Weight Solo and 2 Up

I am looking at maybe moving to F16. Can F16 really be raced effectively solo? It seems to me like managing the spinnaker without a crew would be tough.

What are good solo and 2 up crew weights when racing?

Also, are the boats competitive on the course with F18s?

We race F16's and F18's together all the time in the EMSA crowd, A's too. I feel like they do well together, and are fairly similar.

My wife and I are about 275-280 combined, we see other teams between there and 300.

The solo folks we see seem to struggle some when the wind picks up, mainly around the marks. They don't regularly race solo, so that probably hurts their performance. I'm sure someone who did it regularly would do better.

Singlehanding an F16 is a blast, but it's a ton of work to do well. It can be done though. The best I did solo at nationals was 9th. The conditions, were less than ideal for singlehanding.

Big air is tough. Things would turn into a shitshow for me much above 15kts and going downwind. You just don't have the weight to get they boat going fast enough to get the apparent wind moved forward.

Borderline single trap conditions for the sloop boats is the only time I felt a uni had a distinct advantage both directions on the course.

When I had my F16, I raced it almost exclusively solo, with main and spin. It was an absolute blast to sail with that set up. I frequently sailed handicap vs F18s, Hobie 20s, and A-cats--it was very competitive in that group until the wind gets above 15. At that point the double trapping has an advantage upwind and the extra hands help managing the chaos rounding marks and jibing. Overall, a very manageable boat solo--especially if you're about 150 lbs.

I race my F16 (old Blade) solo all the time, but as said above, the windier it gets the harder you have to work and you get less competitive up wind against the two up boats. Whenever you are alone, you have to plan all your gibes and take downs well In advance as well as find a hole at C mark where you won't hit anyone while you are snuffing the spin, because you won't bed driving the boat for those 15 seconds, so make sure you have enough room before you drop the kite!

As far as weight, I was 185lbs. I have raced it two up at 320 and we were fast upwind in 15+, but slow when the wind dropped.

In the right wind conditions (single trap, 7-10kts) I would stay with the F18's upwind, and go faster downwind, same with the A cats, except they would be faster upwind but I'd pass them downwind.

Work on your spinnaker set up, the faster you can put it up and get it sheeted in, and the faster you can drop it and snuff it, the faster you can get back to driving the boat!

old butt thread, I know.


I felt like the windier it got, the better I did going upwind. Set the diamond wire tension, lift the boards a bunch, crank the downhaul, and pull the mast rotation back and I was zooming upwind. Then I'd turn the corner and get hammered.


I tried driving it hot downwind staying on the wire with just the main when it got really windy. It'd work until I gybe'd, then it seemed I could never get the speed back. Or I'd crash heroically.... Which was about certain with the kite up much over 20kts.

i'm pleased to see a post in this forum!

i'm a card-carrying member of the crew union - i don't think i'd race this boat in any breeze by myself. too many strings for me. i used to race the mystere 4.3 single handed, but the tramp was much smaller, so it was easier to reach everything. in addition, it had an end-pole snuffer - my falcon has a separate tack line, a halyard and a bigger kite - that's more time away from the tiller during a rounding. my hat is off to you singlehand F16 guys...

Nice to see you are alive and I hope well, John!

If it makes you feel any better I did flip my F16 last month while doing a spin snuff solo in big wind!

I was not racing, just out practicing on my lake, but yeah, a couple more hands would have been nice.

Lest not forget that Hans won the F16 World's single-handed.

What year was that tback?

Going solo but need settings/spreader rake/mast rake as can’t get the boat driving in good breeze or pointing
Crew weight 88 kg
Any assistance appreciated.

Hello.... Is this thing on?

Last post here was over a year ago!

Anyone? Buehler?