https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1150147_10152106613463554_394024399_n.jpg

Look what i found on facebook this morning.

I though it might have been photo shopped. Then i saw this https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1509100_10152106522163554_1565906953_n.jpg

are they just dropping the N17 board straight in with a mod to the centre case? nacra probably had a heap of spares after so many broke early on...

It'd be interesting if you could get a handful of boats together to test it out. Say six total, three with curved, three with canted, and have a regatta where all the sailors alternate boats Alter Cup style.

Very interesting indeed.

would like to learn more on those sailors feedback

The 2014 version of the Nacra 16 has new design of dagger board case that will accept a straight board or a curved board. This will mean the boat will still comply with F16 box rule with straight boards, but will also be able to have its own class racing with the curved boards as well as being a great feeder boat to the 17 class. The case is also designed to allow for the board to have variable rake.....

I would post the 2014 Nacra F16 pdf but its to large......please pm me if you want a copy or go to http://www.nacrasailing.com/nacra-f16-updates/

I have spoken to the design team and the new style cases will be available as retro fit kit in due course...

Our new jib was delivered with that clew plate. Very nice upgrade!

No t-foils on rudders though.

Do the F16 rules allow full AC72 style foils?

Nope. They gotta come out the top. I'm sure there is ways around that with the wording, but the spirit of the rule would nail you.

Hinge? Straight in and out when out of the water being measured

No moving parts.

No appendages.

As such it's unclear to me if jibing boards are legal, you'd need a ruling.

Boards can not be more than 6deg from the vertical. AC style boards are clearly more than 6deg from the vertikal at sections.

Rudders are allowed horizontal appendages.
Jibing boards are allowed.

Nacra trying to drum up some sales.
They are already making curved boards, so why not just stick them on the 16 too - although technically it should not be called an F16 anymore.

Boards must be straight so J C or L foils are not class legal.
They can be canted but only a maximum of 6 degrees from vertical, and they can be asymetrical.
There is not any rule about how straight they have to be, so "jibbing" or as I have heard them refered to as "lazy boat builder boards" would be legal.

Iirc there is a phrase in the rules related to boards that states "no moving parts".

I'll leave the interpretation to others.

In a way I'm surprised Nacra haven't done this before, there are obvious benefits of hull lift for a smaller well powered up boat + some stability gains as well.

The one downside is that they will definately now ( or should ) be pinged in the handicap stakes for lifting boards unlike the present angled boards which seem to be classified as non lifting. I looked at modifying my boat with some first generation A Class curved boards I have but under SCHRS the penalty hit for curved boards was the equivalent of about 15 kilos of weight. I couldn't quite work out whether the older generation of board would give me in excess of 15 kgs of lift so the boards are still in my loft. Perhaps this winter Bitsa may get yet another bit of TLC.

Looking at the 2014 boat changes with smaller diameter mast,rudder stock changes, rudder with a new profile as well as a host of other things, my betting is that the boat must be getting quite close to class weight

From what I have read from their web site. Curved board is not F16 class legal. So they made the board box able to accept both straight (ie. F16 class legal); and curved board (ie. more fun I believe).

I think it is a great idea, of course if they can make it foiling is even better.

The board has no moving parts.

But, if you had a section at the end of the board that pivoted more onto a horizontal plane on each tack, you'd be in violation.