Mary. It is practically 1 week since I started this thread and I was totally shocked by the number of people who took offence at my comments and others who just realised that my comments were tongue in cheek. But at the end of the day we have all confluenced.
If anybody hasn't got the gag then I do apologise.
END OF THREAD............goodnight....Long live the Bladder sorry...Blade!!!!!!

MarkP,

I took offense at your remarks, as they could have led potential F16 sailors away from the class for reasons that are unjustified. We (the F16 class in the US) is at a critical threshold and any bad publicity (founded or unfounded) could be very harmful. That post alone could be enough to sway someone away from the class, assuming they had no prior knowledge of the history of the class.

The US based production of the Blade is the best thing that has ever happened to this class in the States. As in all new productions, there are problems with the first boats delivered - but Vectorworks has been quick to respond - in my opinion. I would expect each VM Blade to be better than the prior one.

Hopefully, the US contigent can count in its new AHPC importer to fully support the new Cap F16 when it is released. Throw in a couple (or more) of imported Stealths and we are talking real formula class in the US.

I apologize for calling you an butt.

Bad publicity (founded or unfounded) could be very harmful?

Yes this is true but if founded then potential buyers have a right to know. Otherwise it seems like a cover up and then people don't want to buy. Like myself I'm waiting for a look at the new Capricorn as the Blade is pretty much a Taipan knockoff with new hull design anyway. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Perhaps once the blade platform is dialed in like the stealth (for example) you folks will have no reason to be so touchy… <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Happy sailing,

To all,
MarkP's original comments about the Blade did not bother me at all, whether it was serious or a joke, because I figure the Blade owners are perfectly capable of defending their boats. There is certainly nothing wrong with discussing the pros and cons of the various types of boats within the F16 class (if it is done in a civilized way).

What bothered me a LOT was the way some of the Blade owners responded by attacking MarkP personally. To an outsider, it looked like petty, partisan bickering. It looks like the F16 class is not unified, but, instead, is a bunch of separate one-design classes with the boat owners trash-talking each other.

It just seems to me that if you want this formula class to succeed, you need to be welcoming and open to as many different brands as possible and that everyone in the F16 class should be supportive of ALL the brands.

Maybe you need to change your mindset to think F16 instead of Blade or Stealth or Taipan or whatever. On shore (and on the internet) you should all be cheering each other and encouraging each other and helping each other to improve, and leave the competition between brands for the race course.

Ultimately, in order for the class to succeed and the racing to be as fun and fair as possible, I would think the goal would be to get all the F16's to the point where they are as equal as possible in speed. That may require some cross-pollination, so to speak, until the boats start to look more like hybrids as they find out what works and what doesn't and borrow features from each other. That can only happen if you think in terms of "F16 Class" rather than a specific one-design class within it.

I didn't respond back then but I do think the points raised in the initial post were boogus. Afterall the little block HADN'T failed yet as was later admitted by the owner, the spi pole broke in a perfectly predictable manner which isn't much related at all to the rivets and saddle setup. And the issues with the sails are issues that are to be blamed on the sailmaker; a party that is outside of the direct control of the Blade builder and designers. And such sailmaker issues can be found in history of all F16 boats of this time, that includes the Stealths and Taipans. So that is hardly a Blade problem.

I personally do feel that the initial post has plenty of potential to spook new sailors and no other F16 design had be subjected to that kind of treatment in the past. As such it was uncalled for and unwise. Moreso because the raised points were largely misunderstandings and exegerrations. None of them were/are structural or recurring even though such a thing may well have been implied originally.





Well, then you are not in for a big surprise as the Cap F16 is exactly the same as well. The whole rig is a Taipan 4.9 rig with modifications that were tried and proven earlier on the Blade and my personal Taipan F16. Pretty much the platform and daggerboards are new as they will be a downsized Cap F18 but the remainder will mostly be Taipan 4.9. And rightly so in my opinion as the rig is pretty good (when the sailmaker delivers them on specs) and so too are the appendences like the rudders and blocks.

So indeed as Mary suggested already; there is crosspolunation among F16's and they are become more and more like hybrids between concepts tried on different makes.

Wouter

I agree, my rudders fell off too when I went out on the blade and before you say anything I had put them on properly <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

One should take into account the Blade F16 is being build by several companies. I ordered my Blade at Dynautic, which has a different construction and setup then other builders. I choose my own setup because dynautic doesn't have a standard setup, everything is customer build. I don't have much experience with cat sailing and hope I made the right choise with all the lines and cleats.

Mirjam,
The Netherlands