Geert,
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<br>Even though I'm personally very interested in maximizing the F16 HP class in the way of performance, I am at the same time very involved in getting this class of the ground. With respect to genaker size these two come into direct conflict.
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<br>As we know Texl rating is not descriminative when it comes done to genakers. It recognizes but three situations; you have a genaker or you don't and the genaker is less or equal than max allowed under Texel. Point is; it does not rate genakers in the same way as it would do with overall weight and jib/mainsail area's.
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<br>We can allow some flexibility in overall weight and sailarea's because we know how that can be corrected by the other dimensions on the boat. This way we can correct heavy boats by allowing them more jib area and thus make them equal to F18 again. We can't however do that with genaker size and luff length.
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<br>Result : following the Texel rule and allowing the F16HP to carry a 21 sq.mtr. with nearly equal to F18 luff would give the F16HP an unequal advantage and destroy the F18 equality aspect which we are using to attract new blood and thus get the class excepted and thriving. Unregulating the genaker area would also sever the link between 1-up and 2-up sailing for which 17 sq.mtr. could well be the max size that can be handled.
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<br>Ofcourse maximizing under the Texel rule is very interesting to a one -off sailor but not it is not in the interest of creating a class. Sorry.
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<br>I propose to keep the current rule of 17 sq.mtr. and expanded it with a max draw height at 91 % of the F18's
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<br>This would satisfy two of wishes at the same time of which one was also expressed by you.
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<br>First being : Not to make the drawheight to high in order to not load the grandfathered mast to height by forcing them to go masthead
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<br>Second being : real equality to F18's and not only on handicap rating.
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<br>This however does not mean that I dont share your and Stewards wish for a maximized HP class'. Personally I would love to have my modified Taipan smoke the hulls of F18's next season but I really do think that it is standing in the way of getting this class of the of the ground. And we can only go truelly F16 HP (max. gen size, even less restrictions, wider) when we have a broad basis of participating sailors . Till that time we have we can have one or two open features and to my opinion gen. size is not one of them.
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<br>summary
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<br>- Mast and sailarea are limited flexibally by the rated sail formula
<br>- Length is permanently fixed to 5 mtr
<br>- Gen. draw height wiil be fixed leaving flexibel luff to heavily raked boats.
<br>- weight is limited to 100 kg's or less and overweight is corrected out by the Texel performance prediction formula giving jib size. This implies that overweight can be counteracted by sailing with a light crew.
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<br>- width is still unregulated by being analysed wether it needs to be regualed. Point named above (sailing light) is taken up in the analysis.
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<br>Wouter
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