+1

Yeah but Pete I really don't think Bob is evil. I'm just having a little fun with the situation I actually kinda like Bob although his choice of friends is suspect.

The opening was there so...

Bob is so evil that his posts just forced me to cut myself.

See how evil he is?
:P

Bob made me do it.

I think an important point has been brought up though... The F16 was specifically conceived of as a 1-up or 2-up boat. It's great for each but not optimized for either.

The Olympic Committee has no interest in 1-up. I can easily see them going for a boat that has been optimized for 2-up crews of three-hundred pounds and it is reasonable that such a boat would be faster than an F16 that is sailed with the same sort of crew.

I also expect that they would be much more interested in a one design class over a development (even a limited-development) class. And I figure they would want a design that is already internationally adopted (which this new Nacra 17 is obviously not.)

I'm guessing they will have a hard choice ahead of them.

The evaluation criteria (pdf) have been spelled out pretty explicitly and that's not one of the considerations. The closest is this -

When the Tornado was the Cat in the Olympics, was it considered a "Developmental Class" or was it One Design...or neither?

Probably, but I could mortgage something and I might consider stealing if the new olympic cat is winged, has curved foils and sails foilborne

The T was a development class.

No the B class was the development class. Tornados were a one design. Not to be confused with a single manufacturer one design.

I still believe that the AHPC Viper (F16) stand the best chance of being selected over the "just recently announced designs"

I don't think the F16 class as a formula class is in any way likely to be selected. Mostly because I don't see any effort on that front to be slected, just as the F18 class is not actively seeking selection.

It is all up to the individual builders with their individual designs and the succesful F16 and Taipan parent classes guarantee that already lots of development have gone into these designs especially with regard to sailshapes. What more can you wish for?

Other then that the Viper is an excellent choice in my opinion and has the beginnings of a great fleet the world over. It fits the mixed crew criteria perfectly. Furthermore, the succes in the Taipan and F16 parent classes have led to lots of development related to the overall design and sailshapes especially.

What more can you wish for ?

Tornado was one-design but with some freedom on sails, equipment, layout of equipment etc. As building methods went from plywood to sandwich and the introduction of tighter production control procedures the class rules were tightened up to reflect this.
The last version of the class rules were very much one-design on the aspects that matters but with freedom to lay out control systems etc as you like.

Does the F16 class have an official standpoint about submissions made to the selection event like the F18 class does?

If one design is selected over another that would be a huge benefit to that manufacturer and maybe distort the market as it is now?

To me, this 17 looks to be the best boat for the job. Nacra have got the world wide availability and have been propping up formula classes for 20 years now while other manufacturers seem to come and go as they feel.
Nacra deserve a successful one design fleet and this 17 could be it.
It's the best marketing move that they have done to date!

Wow!

1) We don't need another class!

2) This is actually great idea from Nacra to steal the Olympic bid and corner a market. New boat that takes the best all designs to create a OD. Not a bad idea. If selected, I see the F16 & F18 go by the way side because most will migrate to this over time. I will!

3) The F18 is just too big and heavy as a consideration as a mixed crew.

4) F16 - Personally, I'd like to see the F16 be selected because its open to competition and availability would be easier. On the same token, because this is a development class it gives way to new designs and observance of existing F16 designs. Look at the f18 and the Tiger. Giving the selection to any one mfg is not a good thing for anyone if you really think about it guys.

TW

So...you think the F18 is "...just too big and heavy as a consideration as a mixed crew."

But somehow a boat that is just 6 inches shorter is not? OK, maybe it's lighter, but once it's in the water, the working loads, and trimming the sails, etc. will be about the same.

You really think all the F18 and F16 sailors are going to bail and all jump on the "New F17"?

Really?

Don't hold your breath.

"Nacra deserves a successful one design fleet"

Wow.... Deserves....

That is bass backwards.... The customer drives the process..

So... do you hear ANY talk on the beach that SMOD is missed?
Do you see any upset among the formula sailors (F16 or F18) that development is too fast and they want to go back to SMOD .... (If any thing... some people are itching to ramp it up.)
Had you ever had a conversation that resolved... What we REALLY NEED in cat racing is a boat BETWEEN 16 and 18 that out performs all of em...

Maybe Nacra knows something of customers that they don't know of themselves. I know for a fact that customers don't think nacra deserves a dammn thing.

A racing class needs critical mass of people who want to do the same thing..... Does the Nacra carbon 20 (I don't even know what the proper class name is) have that critical mass of racers anywhere? I read somewhere that Nacra new 20 sales have stopped as those people who wanted that kind of ride got one and the market is now full. 2 of the 4 (or so thought to be in NA are now for sale in the states.

Seems to me that if the boat is selected for mixed multihull then it will have an instant class that will look like the Tornado class of the last 15 years...eg small and professional.... Otherwise..... I don't see it making a class and so it will be just another nice boat.

(maybe NACRA will invest/sponsor handicap racing to give their SMOD boats a game to play in)... he he

I'm not worried, in my opinion if the Nacra 17 is selected as the Olympic equipment the impact to the F18 class would be about the same as if the F16 (Viper) was selected. In my opinion if the Viper is selected the F16 class would take a bigger hit than if the Nacra 17 is selected. First thing that comes to mind would be fiddling with the class rules.

As for the class moving to a lower weight F18... still not worried, the F18HT isn't exactly posting huge numbers on the starting lines.

Is the multihull community (besides Bob) jonesing to get back into a SMOD class? There are a LOT of people that have been soured on the concept and formula has become the norm. As sexy and attractive as the Nacra 17 is it will have it's own baggage to deal with. No sleep lost here.

SCREW SMOD!!!

It's a greedy monster.