2. Moving forward - if we are to set up a bonafide F20 class I would strongly argue against an design. The reasons the F18s have done so well is because everything is tightly regulated. If this means we have to cut out some boats at the beginning to get things off the ground, so be it. But you don't want this to go the way of the A-cats where it is now a pay-to-play and no matter how good of a sailor you are if you don't have an extra 30k or whatever to drop on the latest a-cat you aren't going to be winning races. In contrast if you look at the F-18s all of the best sailors are gravitating toward them because they know they can get direct head-to-head competition with their rivals.
2. If we are going to make the rules then we should follow the F18 model even if this means cutting out a few boats at the beginning.
I will grant the F18 class has been successful, yet so has the A. With these 2 classes you have the premier performance racing classes of multihull with 1 up and 2 up .
The F18 class promotes itself as a strict formula, while the A class promotes development. In both classes you see the top sailors winning on virtually any platform and the word after events is that the boat just does not make that much difference. The top guys are on new rigs and new platforms and that is the case in Every class from Hobie 16 to TP52’s. You want to race at the top level you have new gear.
If you think that because there are tight controls on the rule set then the boats are cheap, you had better relook at things. Development is expensive and there is significant development going on within the A and the F18 classes both. In some aspects trying to develop an advantage of something that can be marketed as unique within a tight rule set is more expensive than starting with an open slate.
You can pay 25K+ for an extremely over weight fiberglass hand laminated F18 or you can pay 25-30 for a light weight all carbon prepreg A cat. Which is really the better vlaue?
A tight set of rule specs is not going to motivate any builder to design a new boat. Without boats on the market there is no class. The existing 20 drivers and models are for the most part about line honors, there just is not much if any fleet racing anywhere. Setting a set of rules up that is nothing more than a 2’ longer F18 is not something I see going anywhere.
