I think we have already seen some of that in the F16 class. Prices have gone up on the new boats.

But I don't think the prices will sky-rocket. There is not enough expensive stuff in the F16 designs yet. Also the class rules are halveway between F18 and A-cats so that should dampen the price increases significantly as well.

As of yet it is perfectly possible to build and offer a 26.000 F16, it was always that way. But the class rules are still such that you can well be out classed on the water by a 15.000 F16 and that gives a permanent down pressure on the retail prices. None of the builders want to expose themselfs to another builder, producing a boat that is just as capable but much cheaper. Actually this contributed to the Taipan 4.9 being discontinued, it was significantly more expensive then the newly designed F16's and not better in performance.

The A-cats are unlucky in my opinion because these designs are very much depended on materials and a way of doing things that has become very expensive. Sadly for them there is no easy solution to this problem. And honestly I don't rejoice in that. There is a reason the F16 class rules decided on 240 lbs as minimum weight as that would still allow inexpensive materials to be used in an otherwise competitive boat. Several other rules were made partly with that issue in mind.

While we will see development in the F16 class and as a result see more expensive boats being offered, we'll not see skyrocketing prices as the F16 class is not an all-out development class like the A's. Of course as a payback the F16's will have to accept some drawbacks but in my experience the customers don't really value these drawback as significant. Some do, but just as many others don't. And so there is ample client base for both types, and many of thge other cat types out there.

Fair winds to you all,

Wouter