I think we are getting to one of the main issues here, 'carrot and stick' mentality of promotion. If the F16s want to promote themselves don't build walls, go play with the others! Development of a 'wider' class could be a great opportunity to get more people on F16s. It could be someone with an alloy mast and an extra 30Kg can have great fun racing against you and see potential benefits. There are some excellent F16 sailors out there and some great boats, but they won't suit all. You know as well as I that ratings are only part of the story. Don't shout statistics at them, sail with them. A good sailor will always do well on a half decent boat and boat handling is the usually the most important factor. Embrace the initiative to get more boats racing together and let the F16 numbers grow from it. If boats start racing together the manufacturers generally prefer their boats to look good with race results, and if the F16 rule is right they will drift that way. If not the fleet will be seen as a narrow minded group of techno-enthusiasts with a chip on their shoulders.

Cheshirecatman