1: Hobie is making their money from rotomoulded kayaks and similar. Their main market is no longer catamarans
Yes, Hobiecat USA is. Hobiecat Europe manufactures multihulls and are not even considering an F16 because it is not economically viable. They are however are interested in the 104.
2: NACRA is doing their different 17 foot configurations. I dont see them dumping a successful class in the US by creating a direct and more versatile competitor to their own class.
Once again, as above. Nacra are also moving towards the 104 with no interest in the F16 as AHPC are likewise. F18 V’s F18ht ?????
3: There is nothing exotic about building a min-weight F16 at home or in a production environment. But to succeed you need some good design work done and a production environment with skills and good quality control. I want boats built by skilled workers under a good quality control system, dont you? Mulling over your 'exotics' statement, I am puzzled by what is so exotic about vinylester/glass or wood/epoxy construction?
Ask the manufactures who do make the boats at min weight and find out how expensive it is for them and how hard it is to achieve. Sure you can build a boat lighter but how durable would the boat be. What is its competitive life span before it gets soft? Carbon masts, foils, stocks, tiller cross arm booms, carbon or Kevlar in the hulls ect are significantly more and to say they don’t is kidding yourself.
4
I would not be surprised if in the future we see an F16 ‘manufactures’ class get off the ground, supported by major manufactures and the current F16 class will soon become like the F18HT is to the F18 class.
Disagree. You probably think about the history with the 18HT in the US? If you re-check that story you will see large differences in how the F16 class is buildt and how the 18HT was introduced.
Different path, same result. The F16 class was warned about this in the past and chose to ignore, now as a result the 104 is here and will build at a rapid rate, the F16 will become the 16 foot equivalent to the F18ht
