I think you may well be right. However regardless of whether it's the right or wrong thing to do, I don't see much evidence that there is strong support here for restricting the rule at this point, although there seems to be at least agreement on the basic length/width/weight/sail area parameters. I think the best you can hope for is that a design emerges that fits these constraints and finds some success.

I think part of the underlying issue is that there isn't sufficient agreement on exactly what the market needs are - and arguably this is because at this point we really do know less than we'd like to about exactly what features are actually going to make a junior catamaran class successful.

I think a key decision that needs to be made is whether the name F12 is going to denote any design that fits the current simple box rule or a specific design that emerges from the current mix of ideas or nothing at all. Though I know you don't favor the first option at all, I think it would be wrong to assume that it has no value at all. However, like you I see difficulty in getting a really substantial class off the ground on an international scale under this model. But I'm not sure if everyone sees that as the goal. It would be good to hear from RG, Chris and Phill in particular on exactly what their views are about the form they see an F12 class taking in the future. Personally I don't think the one design approach is dead yet, but there definitely needs to be some discussion on this. Gotta run, more later.