Hi Wout

Hope your not judging all people by age alone !

The "wise old prof. " and others did {though sometimes inadvertantly } get you to think ---and think for yourself to seek truth .
the best thing any teacher can hope to accomplish .

The implication of relating this prof story into an engineering design discussion is not directly relavent to
S C designs and Bill,s accomplishments however .
Interesting story though ,
Seems people often reach a position of authority in gov structured organizations and societies that they have not earned and could not in the real world or open free marketplace where people are free to choose another option.
Sighting age is not the cause ,--maybe socialistic ideals ,-shades or grey or otherforms are more the base cause .
People of all ages continue to be inventive and have creative minds throughout their lives .Examples are numerous in all forms of human endeavor .

Nice that so many good people take time to respond to sailing posts ,--we worry about each other .-each others ideas and opinion ,-try to point to the short explaination and perspective of each ,--

S C and Arc designs have been reasonabley successfull in the marketplace and continue to be -

Bill mentioned earlier that any could take the Arc 21 design ,build a 20 ft--8.5 beam version - take a 1-ft 3 in . off the stern and have an excellent F-20 type cat design . add a C F mast and similar sail plan and it is a speed machine equal or better than most when sailed to its potential .
There is no doubt in my mind that this would be a superior performing 20 particularly for distance ocean racing in seas in races like the Worrell or Tybee 500 .-
Comparabley the current "fastest 2o"-The Inter 20 has large bow sections ,-nearly 16 in in width with very flat underwater profile which slaps and sometimes pounds in waves . It is also skidish and does not track like a deeper narrower hull section design ,-helming is a factor also,particularly in distance racing .

As a Formula racing advocate you must realize the value of this and others options . The underlying reasons why existing design is valued and new innovation and refinement from them is vital for the sport and its future.
Like everything when it becomes stagnant it begins to decline and die .

We will see the S C and Arc designs as well as many design features Bill incorperated into them subsequently applied by other designers that have influenced them greatly and will continue to ,-around for a long -long time .-

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