I know it's harder, but who is actually sailing the F16 singlehanded seriously.
What I mean by this..
1. Are they going out on the weekends practicing against another singlehander or better yet another two up boat.
2. Are they racing on a consistent basis singlehanding?
Yes on #2, but only occasionally on #1 - the latter mainly for logistical reasons. It's just difficult to get to the lake and get set up/break down for one day at a time. So I end up mostly sailing at regattas. I've done a little bit of training in the past couple of years with other F16s (Dan Feldman, Tom Hoscheidt), and a little this year with some non-F16 teams.
Sailing singlehanded is hard work and I regularly embarrass myself, but it doesn't stop me from loving it.
We have to ask ourselves why the single handed fleet is not expanding as it would seem in time constrained work and family situations, more people should be sailing single handed for conveniance factors.
The F16 fleet at Datchet, which numbered 11 at one stage, has now totally disbanded, most going to other classes, some retiring from sailing burnout, others to other forms of sailing. Now as one of the first big fleets of F16's and almost entirely of singlehanders we would have to ask why such a fleet should disband in only few years.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the boats, probably 8 or 9 boats were regular active racers, not always at the same time, but the fleet was active. So why did it breakup so quickly. Here in the UK we operate on the SCHRS handicap system which rates the single handed F16 faster than both the 20ft Hurricane 5.9 with its modern square top main, jib and spinny and the F18s being only just slower than the Tornado.
Why did the Datchet F16 fleet disband and the sailors move to other classes, it was a no brainer really. One thing for certain it wasn't the boats.
