Personally, I understand alot of these posts that say that a new design is not the most important thing, but getting a major youth program going is.

However we must focus on what we CAN do rather then what we should do if some billionair donates a million bucks.

Great idea's about the programs but we are not going to be able to achieve that on the shoe string budget that we have.

So lets not looks at what can't be done, but at what can be done.

At this particular time there simple is NO simple and inexpensive youth boat, PERIOD. Several of us have noted that even lasers go for 4000 Euro's/ 5000 US$. Opti's are ludicrously expensive for what you get as well.

The idea with this F12 is two fold. First to really get a fast, good looking BOAT outthere that really does give young people alot of bang for the buck. If that design happens to be a CATAMARAN like the F12 then I'm really not complianing.

It is my own intention to have the F12 setup as such that as good as everything can be homebuild by a very average father or mother, with maybe the possible exception of the hulls. Not that many WILL homebuild it but because repairing such a craft will be very easy as well. This all translates in low cost and no worrying about your kid damaging the boat too much (in way of cost).

Additionally if we ever want to launch a REAL youth program then we need a basic sailing design that really is inexpensive, easy to repair and really simple to maintain. Sure having 10 boats doing a tour along High-schools in USA will be great but then somebody needs to pay for 10 boats and the related repairs. Current doing that with lasers will cost 50.000 bucks only in purchase of boats. I intend to cut that in halve with the F12's.

If a design is really inexpensive then it becomes alot easier to persuade people to buy it. Currently we don't really have that in youth boat land and certainly not in catamaran land since the M4.3 was discontinued. The Wave being a fun boat but really not to boat to WOW kids and teenagers with. Besides these are only sold in the USA.

So my basic point is yes you are correct that a culture change is probably required but how do we affect that ? Not with F16's, F18's or A-cats. Also not with the Wave or Bravo. So this F12 project is an project to give ourselfs a tool with which we can attempt such a culture chance with some chance of succes. In that way the F12 is needed. Especially because it is NOT a One-Design boat = expensive outdated trash. You'll be amazed how well a concept can be develloped when a few respected amateurs start working on it.

If ever we are going to attemp a major youth program then in the USA we'll have to attract some major sponsor, probably a soda brand or something. For that you'll some flashy boat, some new and "Happening" thing that looks the part. Optis and lasers ain't it nor the Wave, I'm trully sorry. Again the F12 project aims at merging this fashion sense with a well performing but inexpensive (=simple) sailboat. A difficult balancing act I know, but without it I really don't see anybody selling the youth concept to a major sponsor.

But the main topic for now is to get some F12 designing going and only AFTERWARDS decide whether it is worth persuing further and not before anything is known or understood about it.

Wouter