And valuable thoughts they were, just like always!
It will take some time to digest your tactics, esp. regarding the spi. which will be brand new for me.
Thanks again,
Just about the only option you cannot rethink later is the kevlar hulls.....I guess we could peel the gelcoat away very delicately, replace the glass with kevlar and stick the gelcoat peel back on. Almost like peeling an apple in one strip.
I am still tyring to figure all the places I can stick a F16 logo (get your mind out of the gutter).
Take I275 to 22Ave S. Go West and make a left on 49th St.
Head south and make a left on Del Rio
Google Maps
St. Pete Beach is very close to Gulfport. If expense is no object, there's the Don Cesare Resort & Spa - the pink palace. The Siratta is also nice. Do a search for St. Pete Beach hotels and you'll be OK. There is also a nice little beach in Gulfport the family can hang out at while your on the water if they don't want to be out at the Gulf.
Thanks Lance!
Gulfport is a really cozy, comfortable, laid-back little sailing club. Attached is a picture of the clubhouse, and I will put a picture of the beach in the following post.
Here is the beach.
Thanks Mary.
Just spoke to Hans Geissler ; G-cat will at the GYC event
-1- Chuck Harnden (1-up) [color]Blade F16
-2- Matt / Gina McDonald (2-up) [color]Blade F16
-3- Seth Stern / Kelly Gray (2-up) [color]Taipan F16
-4- Hollis Caffee (1-up) [color] Taipan F16
-5- Gordon Isco / Mike Hagan (2-up) [color]Taipan F16
-6- Mystery crew on the G-cat F16 (probably 2-up) [color]G-cat F16
A good mix of boats (designs) as well.
Pre-registration is now 6 : 6 = A-cats : F16's
I won't have the money for it this year or the next, but if the GYC invitational event is held in any following years then I will seriously consider flying in for a late winter sailing weekend. This event sounds like alot of fun.
Wouter
Maybe I can convince Rick to go with our Taipan 4.9 again this year. Maybe we could even sail together -- that might make for some fireworks on the course! 
-6- Mystery crew on the G-cat F16 (probably 2-up) G-cat F16
Olli and Kelly Jason were sailing Hans' new GCat in 15+ this weekend in Dunedin. Who will skipper it in Gulfport? Better be there and see!
I do have an update to the Gulfport Regatta.
I have confirmed two G-cat f16's will be attending.
One will be sailed by Hans himself.
The second is still a mystery since it hasn't been confirmed. Sorry Dave but you may be wrong. All I can say is that the F16 contestants are going to have their hands full with these sailors.
Looks like we are going to have a great turnout and the f16 class in starting to gain strength. Anyone with an f16 sitting on the fence about showing up, this will be the largest fleet in our short United States History.
Seth
Add one more Blade.
Take delivery Friday AM (3/31), shake down sail in Titusville and then trailer to Gulfport Friday PM. Unsure as to 1-up or 2-up. I'll get pre-registered as soon as I can get an answer from my potential crew.
Hey! Congrats Tom - Blade F16 USA712!
I hope all goes according to plan and that you (and all the other F16s) have a really great weekend.
Gonna have a name?
With the lastest info (and rumours) we have the following listing (sorted alfabetically on boat type):
-1- Chuck Harnden (1-up) [color] Blade F16
-2- Matt / Gina McDonald (2-up) [color] Blade F16
-3- Tom Shannon (1-up or 2-up) [color] Blade F16
-4- Gordon Isco / Mike Hagan (2-up) [color] Taipan F16
-5- Seth Stern / Kelly Gray (2-up) [color] Taipan F16
-6- Hollis Caffee (1-up) [color] Taipan F16
-7- Hans Geissler (1-up or 2-up) [color] G-cat F16
-8- Mystery crew on the G-cat F16 (probably 2-up) [color] G-cat F16
-9- [color] Possibility ? : Mary and Rick White on their Taipan ?
Last time, at tradewinds, Hans G. arranged himself a very capable skipper. I don't know how he does it but if Hans can perform a similar trick this time that G-cat will be the boat to beat. All-hands-on-deck for all other crews. Major cool for a design so young.
This is indeed a great turn-out, as Seth said. All thanks to Matt McDonald, Vectorworks Marine and Hans Geissler. They are just the medicine that the doctor ordered.
Hey Tom, You could try taking Kirt Simmons along, he is in Arkansas and relatively close to you. In addition he has quite some experience on the Taipan (his own) and the superwing mast. Otherwise I'm sure Tim Bohan would not pass on sailing the Blade F16 once more; he should be pretty experienced with spi sailing as well.
Also Tom, when you are down there then beg, bride or twist an arm to get a demo sail on your blade with one of the more experienced F16 sailors. You only need about 30 to 45 minutes to spot all the little tricks with respect to superwing mast trim and spi sailing that will shave off months of your learning curve. Persons to look for are Jennifer, Chuck, Seth, Matt. I'm giving you also the same advice that I gave Bruce Barrs from Canada who flew in to do tradewinds 2006. When it is windy then pull the outhaul, downhaul and mainsheet tight. The latter two !REALLY! tight, simultaniously. The boat will calm down to a really relaxed feel and you'll increase speed enormously. It must feel as if the boat just wants to skid along accellerating with every puff and only lifting its hull in a slow motion kind of way. That is the groove you are looking for. In addition always pull a spinnaker on the downwind legs, this also calms the boat down in a blow, it is actually alot easier to sail downwind that way how strange that may sound. If you are anxious about the spi then just don't heat it up much and stay on a deep course with a full spinnaker.
To Jeffrey Woodard (Taipan F16 #216) from Atlanta I say :" if you won't come down to do this event then you never will !"
Wouter
Hey Mary, not trying to fan the fire here, but why not ?
Why not team up with your husband for this event. I'm guessing it has been a while since.
There are several other newbies on F16's down there so this event will not be too serious hard-core racing.
Besides there are several other male-female crews out there with you. Several husband-wife teams even so I'm sure they'll understand any unintended fireworks.
I must say this years GYC invitations is really looking to become as extremely enjoyable both on the water and at the bar. The ratio of Gals and Boys is rather good and that is always a good garantee for some memorable moments.
Wouter
Congrats with Blade F16 - USA 712, Tom !
Cool that you can tell make the GYC event !
Wouter
Hopefully the timing will work out. The boat will actually be ready in the next two weeks, but I am going to put off picking it up until GYC weekend. I probably could not swing two trips to central FL in that short of a time period.
Good advice on getting experienced F16 sailors on the boat. The plan is to sail with Matt Friday AM and splash the boat again in Gulfport in the late PM Friday - maybe I can harrangue someone to go out with me then. I've sailed a variety of cats, but this will be the first "modern" design (I don't really like that term). 1994 N5.5 SL (sometimes with Spi) was my last boat. Maybe the learning curve won't be too bad.
Ohh yes, prior spinnaker experience does help.
With respect to the mast it may be more different. The section is kind of flexible in the sideways plane. Alot more then the more conventional teardrop shaped masts as used on Hobies and Nacra. The flexing of the top to the sides is intentional it depowers the boat, opening up the top, and resulting in higher speeds. For this reason you will often sail with less mast rotation then on other boats. To give an example : doublehanding in a breeze the rotator arm is pointing to the ends of the rearbeam or even the rudderstocks. This is less then 30 degrees.
With this rig, nearly always, "Flat is Fast". Flat here means little rotation and little draft. But you'll get the hang of that soon enough.
One thing that helped me alot in the beginning was the realisation that this boat must be optimized for low drag rather then for power. Often when you feel properly powered up but relatively slow then it helps to depower the rig and open up the top. Quite a few times one of the crew is coming off the wire as a direct result but the boat can be sailing anything from 10% to 30% faster just the same. This is a rig that you must allow to breath freely, concentrate on that. Don't try to bend its power to your will but learn to set it free and have it stream. The rig really likes the latter and can really get crumpy when you force it too much.
The funny thing is the contradiction that you often need to apply much downhaul and sheet tension to set the rig loose and have it stream freely. In the beginning this is difficult to learn. Often sailors correlate loose and breathing rigs with low sheet and control line tensions that is not the case with the F16. A loose and free rig here means a flat rig (small draft) with a twisting top. In order to get this you need ample amounts of downhaul and sheet tensions. If you don't set enough downhaul then the mainsheet will feel heavy and the boat will feel bound up as the leech is not twisting. This is why both need to be adjusted more or less simultaniously.
Anyway, you can tell already that a few minutes actually doing this on the water is better than ten page of me describing it.
When you have actually experienced the speed grooves one time then it is alot easier to teach yourself to find them again. Often beginners will feel that they have the boat going pretty well (they don't know better) while they could be going 10% to 30% faster.
Wouter
A secret will be released soon, making this event even better. 
So what's that Robi? - You got someone to sail your boat at Gulfport?
Until I get everything settled I am not saying anything. 
How fragile is this boat? I once broke some stuff on a H-16 by over sheeting. 'course I was new and pretty excited!
Anything wrong with black spinnakers?
All good information. I hope my prior post did not come across as "this sure will be easy". I am sure it will take some time to figure out the intricacies of the F16 and do not expect to be competitve as a novice. I'll be all ears before and after the races in Gulfport.
I have not a had a boat with a boom since 1992, never had a self-tacking jib, never had a snuffer, never had a wing section mast - so it'll be a big adjustment, but tons of fun. I did opt for the 12:1 downhaul, so I should be able to make the sail FLAT.
I WANT A BLACK SPINNAKER! 
(But I can't afford one at the moment) 
Black spinnakers look cool - with the Appen Smoke sails
Cool, schmool, drool..
Ref: http:/
What good if it's cool, when it's slower becouse it's harder to see the black telltales..
Skipper of this T was too pre-occupied by his cool matching sails, drysuit and ubercool carbon mast to concentrate on sailing fast. Bickering with his crew about his non-standard black and white drysuit probably didn't help. 
:D:D
Rolf:
Seriously, I was wondering if black would be easier on the eyes! I'm serious, really, I am, serious!
looks like they are using a glad garbage bag for a spin!
I know who it is