I personaly would not beach a 4.9 but ....
I would and I'm actually going to do just that for the 4th season in a row. As of yet I haven't had to put a new layer of glass and resin on my keels.
I sail singlehanded halve the time and I simply have no choice, I can't stop in the middle of the surf and have my boat floating around while I go get the cat tracks. I'm not running it onto the beach at full speed however and I get of quickly. The other F16's (Blades) at my club do the same.
We really have to stop perpetuating this nonsense. Beaching these boats is NOT an issue, unless you are doing it on the rocks or whatever.
The boat was built in very small numbers
Personally I think over 320 boats build is a respectable number for a design that basically was confined to the Australian market. But indeed appreciation of this may differ.
I think you will find it will eventually suffer the same fate as the 5.7.
It already is going that way although the decision to go with the times and modernize the Taipan will give it a new lease on life. If the class doesn't continue with this modernizing beyond the mainsail then this lease will only be relatively short lived. Afterall the Taipan 4.9 is no longer produced by AHPC and will be replaced by a new 16 foot design.
If the class takes off, more manufactures get involved and the quality of competition increases, then the development of hull shapes, sails and rigs will move ahead in leaps and bounds...... WHich costs $$$$ and will be past onto the consumer.
In all honesty, we are already on this path really seriously for about 2 years. Of course we had carbon masts in the class from the very beginning and the same can be said for squaretops and such. Both the Stealth and Blade designs have seen several construction improvements over the last years. Stiffness for the Stealth was always high and the Blade has increased platform stiffness by a factor of 3 since the first prototype. Landenberger, Glaser, Goodall Ullman and Ashby are continiously refining the sail designs. Both the Stealth and Blade design have gotten new daggerboard and rudder designs, where the use of carbon has become standard. I don't know anybody in the last 3 years who has ordered dacron sails. Stealth has gotten a new bow section 3 years ago and the Blade hull was refined last year with new improved beam landings and stiffening devices inside the hull. New beams were incorporated. And so on ....
Still, despite these developments I can order a fully rigged and locally delivered new Blade F16 today for 14.165 Euro (incl EU taxes etc) and a new carbon masted Stealth F16 for 14.084 Euro (incl EU taxes etc). A carbon mast upgrade to the Blade costs about 1500 Euro's extra. (tot = 15.665 Euro delivered, fully fitted incl. EU taxes). These quoted were checked out yesterday.
By comparison in the EU the SL16 is roughly 12.500 - 13.500 (although it quotes do vary ALOT), the FX-one is about 14.500 when fully fitted, the A-cats are between 16.000 and 20.000 Euros and F18's go between 16.500 - 20.000 when race ready. The Hobie 16 price is a well guarded secret (why ?) but when I got my hands on a full price listing in summer 2005 the Hobie 16 le race was 13.500 Euro's (incl taxes but WITHOUT things like a spinnaker, pentex sails and full harken fit-out).
I, for one am pleasantly surprised how the F16 retail prices has stayed as low as they are despite the developments and the upper level quality of the components that they're are fitted with. The 2007 formula 16 boats are easily worth 15.000 Euro's and more. Afterall, what do the F18's got that the F16 don't ? ... ohhh of course, I forgot, 70 kgs (155 lbs) and a 1500 Euro higher retail price. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
But seriously, So much room for new development is no longer left in the F16 class. The big hits have already been made (like carbon masts, kevlar hulls, etc).
I fully expect the F16 retail prices to rise, again these 2007 boats are easily worth 15.000 or more. At some point the dealors will want to see a larger return of investment. If I had the money then I would order a new F16 right now, while the retail prices are so low. I mean, 14.085 or 15.665 Euro's for a carbon masted F16 with the newest rigging and daggerboard/rudder design ? Tough choice !
No way a standard Taipan 4.9 can beat that, even with the new mainsail design they have voted in for 2009. This boat (with spinnaker added) was already 16.000 euro in 2005 and it still lacks the upgrades like a new daggerboards and carbon mast.
Surprisingly enough the F16's despite the developments, additions and improvements in speed are actually CHEAPER to purchase then the standard Taipan 4.9 was.
Maybe in the future somebody will make a "Gunboat" version of some F16, costing 20.000 Euro's or more but it won't be significantly better then a 14.000 Euro production F16. Simply put, where would the improvement come from ?
For the other area's in the world, like USA and Aus, the quoted prices for all the named boats will differ but relatively speaking the same situations holds. The only real exception is the Hobie 16 which for some reason is much cheaper in the USA then on other continents.
End of my rant,
Wouter
