All,

I am considering building an F16. I have been interested in the class for a while, 1 up spin sailing appeals to me and the ability to carry a friend for crew is a bonus. Boat building is something I have often considered, partly as a way to learn more about the technical details of the hull construction and rigging and partly for the bragging rights of racing something I built.

Right now I am in touch with Phill regarding the Razor. Planes are not available so I am working off of the information he has been more than kind enough to provide for me (taking time away from his Tri to do so). My current plan is to build the hulls using the stich and glue method Phill has devised, although the striped foam method looks equally feasible: http://lindahlcompositedesign.weebly.com/index.html

My largest concern is sourcing the rest of the required bits at reasonable prices. So far I am considering the following:

1) Bent H16 mast used for crossbeams (need to check cross section and wall thickness to ensure strength)
2) Old Tornado mast. Would need to be cut down, custom mast base constructed, proper spreaders rigged etc.

The rest I am planning on sourcing used if possible but likely buying new. Sails are expensive but new sails with custom r&d are a necessity if using the Tornado mast. Some of the other major bits are pretty expensive (spinnaker setup) and/or difficult to obtain (jib self-tacker, APS wants $900 for their F18 jib traveler, ouch!).

Some bits I would like opinions on:
1) Rudder hardware-go the used route (TheMightyHobie18 etc.) or new
2) Wing mast vs. non wing mast. I've been told the wing mast is a 2% performance increase over the non wing mast
3) Rudder and dagger board sizing. Current boat measurements would be nice, at least the surface areas of each. I plan on designing the foils and building them from foam and carbon, a starting point would be very useful.

While I am sourcing good used parts where I can, I fully realize that this is going to be an expensive and time consuming process. My current estimate puts the cost of the boat at $11,000 plus considerable labor on my part. I was wondering if their are some catamaran sailors in the Annapolis area that would be interested in building an F16? If so, the striped foam method makes a little bit more sense for multiple boats, or possibly getting CLC to cut kits.

-Sam