The Shark was my first boat and they all had them. I was Class Sec. for year and lobbied heavily against them.
Spray Rail was the name of them, and they lived up to their name. They sprayed water everywhere and really got you wet.
One Class Pres. who was for keeping them said they helped keep the boat from pitchpoling. But if, you look at the angle of the Spray Rail, it actually would help a pitchpole once the boat drove under that far.

Also, that spray that was constantly flying off them was a lot of drag.
Today's Sharks are all Spray Rail free.
Rick

Since anything on the hull that is not smooth is going to increase drag, why would to do something to stiffen the hull externally when you could do it w/o the penalty internally?

I think that he meant the winning answer was just styling (he highlighted that part in bold)

Aren't they all wet there? Man, I was foredeck on myown boat at Sakonnet 100, for 10 miles downwind with Spi, and skip wanted to sail deep, so I was on the leward hull. It's wet down there. Needed scuba equipment!

When conditions are extreme yes, otherwise some are much worse than others. This is where some of the older boats were much more crew friendly. Where the forward section of the hulls flared out towards a flat(ish) deck level the spray from the bow would (mostly) be deflected to leeward and many main beams were set flush with forward deck level. This way the water didn't 'explode' when hitting the front beam on deck.
I know some will argue that these older flat deck designs were sometimes not as pitchpole resistant, but if the crew can see what they are doing it is less likely to happen in the first place!
Do I think think the lip/rail will do much on the Hobie (If it actually appears on the boat)? - No. What it has done is get people talking about a 'new Hobie F18'

Cheshirecatman

Not a long time to wait now, this new F18 will be presented at the 'nautic' expo in Paris, on december 5th.

In french those little rails on the side of the hulls are called "Moustaches", and the current thinking on the french forums I visit is that they are there mostly for marketing reason. It's all cute and curvy, but mostly useless...

http://www.catclubzeeland.nl/e107_images/newspost_images/2414.480.jpg
could this be it?

I think that's an FXone with the jib track. Doesn't look long enough to be a Fox

i heard orrigionally thats what it was going to look like. a shorter fox. Could the other pic be a ruse?

I saw that picture too but that is probably just a regular Fox, according to the entry list there are two of them competing there.
Its also a little to big to be an F18, its the same same length as the N20 sitting next to it.

It's a Fox. You can see the trampoline track on the inside of the hull.

The boat was relesed this weekend anyone got photos?

I spoke to Mischa today he said the mast section is not completed but is on stand by to start testing very soon.

I will post soms pics as soon as i get soms proper WIFI.

That's kind of like the guy that leaves me voicemails at my desk stating "I'll try you on your cell phone, so disregard this message".

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EXACTLY!

I thought I had the cliffhanger thing going on here

Just got back from Paris, had a good time at the boatshow, turned out I wasnt the only one crazy enough to drive to Paris and back in a day.

Anyway, here are the pics I took at the boatshow today (except the one from the foils, I got those from a fellow sailor).
http://picasaweb.google.nl/TonyMels/ParisBoatshow08
Hobiecat used a color paint which was particularly hard to photograph.
I put all things multihull or interesting in the gallery.
Also checkout the new FX-One Carbon which looks really good.

great photos, although its a shame people kept blocking your profile shot.

What's the iCat?

iCat it the new FX1-Full Carbon.
The new F18 is actually called the W.Cat (or very similar).