Hi Bob, Jerry Dave.

Bob, I agree on all points, just a few things to think about :
Would the 550lb Supercat have won the same race if there had been a 350lb Supercat at the same event, with the same crew weight & skill level on both ? (I know you don`t get a 350lb SC, just for discussion purposes.) My money would be on the lighter equal "superior design" boat.

Regarding "keeping your foot on the gas longer" I`d back a lighter boat with LESS sail area, given that all other design issues were equal.

Agree - a platform DESIGNED to carry more power can probably handle it, but then hull volume, weight etc all go up. See "Playstation" for where we end up.

How does all this relate to Jerry`s original question : Not at all.
Is the lighter boat less forgiving than the heavier boat ? If they are different designs, it becomes a tough question, as there are so many other variables that come into play.
All other design issues being equal, I`d say light = more responsive = more "twitchy" & sensitive to crew weight position & reaction, so I`d have to agree that lighter = less forgiving to a novice, but in my experience the lighter boat takes less effort to sail, and is always going to be easier to right. Hey, my whole platform weighs 10kg LESS than I do (and I`m only 67kg). And it`s made out of trees & epoxy, no hi-tech carbon stuff, in fact it`s "reinforced" with polystyrene ! I find it much less work to sail, and can push it MUCH harder than my older boat. Less forgiving ? They don`t call me the capsize king for nothing !

I think there`s a lot to where you put the weight : Heavy platforms do have some disadvantages, HALF the weight of the hulls is forward of the front beam, which will do nothing to assist in making the boat pitchpole-resistant.
Half the weight of the hulls is also to leeward, not helping resist capsize.

Cheers
Steve