Mary,

Please allow me to ask you to once more look over your believes and determine wether what you are saying is realy the result of an objective deduction.

>>I think technology is destroying catamaran racing right now

What do you mean here ? F18 is the best thing since H16 and P16 of the 70's and early 80's

Tornado class was revived by the upgrade package. The F18 class is even reviving the US cat scene.


>>but I am hoping it is just a phase and that eventually you will all come to your senses and realize that one-design racing is the ONLY way to race.

For me personally, here in Europe, F18 is the most sensible class to race in. Best crews, best boats, most events, largest fleets. I don't really understand the "Just a phase" thing. If several thousant sailors are in this "PHASE" doesn't it cease to be a phase or hype and become the "sensible thing" ? As for OD sailing, We only have H16 and Dart 18 OD sailing left. And these numbers that are attracted to those are smaller then the F18's. Wouldn't this mean that H16 and D18 were a phase themselfs ? Of an earlier time ?

You know, if a hobie 16 sailor would currently play big and call F18 sailing "merely a phase" on the beach he would get laughed off the beach and be given a newspaper hat to wear so he can play Napoleon more convincingly.

>>Regarding the Shark catamaran, if it could be built as light as the Tornado,


It CAN be build as light as a tornado if the used the new technolgy ply and epoxy methode. Really, you can build a 16 footer in ply at 102 kg's. Surely you can build a 20 footer for 160 kg.

Would such a shark be unbeatable ? Only if the rig was further devellopped as well. At a certain point getting more speed out of a boat is not about having more power but being able to operated efficiently at small angles of attack.

Without being disrespectful I would actually turn the claim "technology is destroying catamaran racing right now" around.

The lack of formula racing destroyed the cat sailing scene. We were given poor designs for premium prices. I heard the prices for the EU I-17R (F17) and Hobie 16 just recently. I was speechless. Sure OD is fun but for those prices I rather have formula boat and blow the doors of both of these boats. Going by the succes of formula class I guess I'm not alone at this.

Modern boat One-design then. Over here there simply is NONE. The last OD races (nationals) with the 17 foot singlehanders attracted 3 boats or less ! That is not racing ?

Only the Tiger design seems to attract some participations as a modern design, mostly because it is a spin-off of the F18 class. Mind you its Dutch nationals saw 2 OD tigers racing. That in a Nation the size of New York State containing some 5000 catamarans.

Formula and technology may not be perfect but it sure beats current day OD racing. At least over here in Europe. Going by the recent developments in US and AUS I think we are seeing the same situation develop there as well.

So maybe the OD fans can start to face the music and realize that their PHASE is winding down. So that they can come to their senses and stop claiming that THEIR way is the ONLY way for us all.

With kind regards,

Wouter