Hi Rick,
Regarding Calvert Sails :
"He is willing to sponsor a team with new and creative sails, if it is in a class that is growing, shows up for events, and has good exposure. Otherwise, there would be nothing in it for him. "

I agree - no sailmaker or boatbuilder is going to give away free anything unless they can see a return on their investment, even if it is only goodwill and support from the class in question. On the other hand, if he shows support for a young class and helps it grow, he might just be the beneficiary when it grows up.

What he might consider is what we have done here - we had a 50% split of sailors who had spinnakers and those who didn`t. We approached the Sailmaker (North) who makes most of our sails for our class and gets good business out of our class, and asked them to sponsor a spinnaker. Our class association then put in the rest required to build up a kit, ie snuffer and blocks, ropes etc. We then put the carrot out : the first non-spinnaker boat at the next Nationals would win the spinnaker kit. (had to be a boat that did not have a spinnaker yet, we didn`t allow spin-equipped boats to sail without kite for the prize.)
The result was one happy guy who didn`t have a kite before, a mention of thanks to the sailmaker at the prize-giving, and a growth in number of spinnaker-boats in our class from 50% to 90% - at the prize-giving, 7 new spinnakers were ordered ! Now THAT is a good return on investment.

Now I know Calvert doesn`t get much cat-sailing business thanks to SMOD classes, but this would be a good way to get in with a class that allows any sailmaker. He could make a sail (main, jib, spinn, or even a "creatively designed hooter type sail" (that fits the measurements in the class ) and have it as a prize at the next F16 Nationals. And the beauty of it is that the sail would fit a Taipan OR Blade, or any other F16 design boat, since they are all built close to max. specs and are so similar, so he wouldn`t have to make a class-specific sail, just one that fits the F16 rules. Perhaps it could go to the most improved skipper, to stop the hotshots from walking away with the most goodies !

"I know I was really excited about the F16 Class when I first got my 4.9, but that bubble has since been busted.
We really need to do something like the F18 Class and get folks out sailing.
The best way I know of is to get an email list and keep in communication so we all agree as to what events to attend. "

Rick, surely the best way to acchieve this is through the F16 Forum ? It is public, I`m sure ALL Taipan / Blade / F16 owners check in here at least once a week (Hell, I`m a day-by-day junkie ! )
You guys all know where and when the next open-class regatta is happening, it only takes one of you to start a post saying "lets show up at there this weekend."
If nothing happens in the class you only have yourselves, collectively, to blame. YOU are the owners of F16 boats, so who else should make it happen if not the owners ?

Now if you combined both ideas : Get Calvert to sponsor a sail, and give it away at the end of a season to the sailor who is the most improved skipper / most consistent / whatever, AND has attended 80% of the regattas, you might get better attendance at the events ?

Steve