Mary,
Respectfully, I really think the spin/women thing is a non-issue. None of the female monohull sailors I've met are intimidated by chutes - only the women who have been hanging around catsailing long enough to remember Worrell chutes 3x the size of the f16 chute. Jennifer is kicking butt with her boat, and frequently sails with another girl. I've been able to take women out on my boat with 0 spin experience, and do well at local races. And roller-furling is perfectly legal, as long as the SHAPE is right.

49er (is that your first or last name ),
Number one: the Bim factory described the f16 rules when presented with them as "merely fair." Yet they refused to agree to them. Now, hmm, makes you think.
Number 2: I really don't give a damn what you think about Wouter. However, because of your opinion of him, you want to talk smack about the class. It is grass-roots. We are taking things slow, and that's o.k. with those of us racing. You apparently have something to gain by trying to make the class look bad. I'm not going to argue with you about crap that appeared on this flyer or that website. What matters is the current class rules, voted on by owners and manufacturers. I don't have an f18. Therefore I don't bitch about them banning a new design. Why don't you show our class the same courtesy when we limit mast height? I've also met individuals within other classes that I didn't like. Fortunately, I'm capable of distinguishing between those individuals and the class. Why aren't you?
If you want on one of the boats, let me know any time. If you buy a bim, I hope to get to race against you.

Wouter,
This little stuff isn't worth it. We're proving the boats at regattas. Don't try to argue minute details with these anonymous people - it just feeds the fire. I understand the frustration - but it's not worth it.

It was a long regatta - going to bed.

Michael Coffman
t4.9 #32