If I put two Blade F16 on a beach, identical hull shape and setup. Both boats had the same overall weight and complied with the F16 rules.
One boat was a std Blade as delivered by Vector works, glass hulls, alloy beams, boom, spi pole and mast.
The other was build using carbon hulls, beams, boom, spi pole and mast.
Which boat are you going to choose? (anyone who says the std boat can leave the room right now)
I'm not leaving the room, but I'll probably take the standard one. Why?
- The all carbon one would have the weight better centered around the mast and may be a little more rigid, but that's all really. Not sure it's a win for a non pro-guy like me.
- There is no way I can get my wife to buy an all carbon boat. Too pricey.
Now if you are flush with money, by all mean use the all-carbon one. Don't expect to win all the races however, some people in a 7 year old Stealth will probably outpace you because they know their boat better and have been sailing it for ages. Skills are more important than money...
And you know Macca, you really are annoying repeating the same thing over and over again. I don't know who you are, but now I'm really curious because you seem to really have an agenda and it's unclear to me what it is.
No need to wonder...
http:/
http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...
Like the automobile industry models change every year, the boat builders are free to do whatever they want in the way of modifications,
whether it is in the name of development, cost savings, safety, or sales.
Can vestal one design be maintained forever? (Even the Laser has changed it's rigging, oh my deity)
Over the years we have all seen product innovation (PI) at what cost?
PI continues to sell new boats, or new sails. Again, no one complains when sail shape changes, and chalk it up to maintenance?
If the perfect boat & sails could be built to a level where they are maintence free, NO fibreglass fatigue, no rigging revisions,
no one would need to rotate boats, and the manufacturers would SINK?
The price of keeping the manufactures afloat is PAID by the sailors sacrificing virginal one design or formula?
Product innovation is what keeps the manufacturer at SEA?
If there is NO incentive to buy a new boat/sail/innovation how are the manufactures going to stay afloat?
Your vestal one design/formula throughout the lifespan of a boat (or sails) is a MYTH.
Boats (& sails) get a little better every year, and after racing a year or two requires new. The cost of new set of sails on some boats can justify the cost of buying a new boat and supporting the manufacturer.
The price can be to high to play for some..... the builders will make a buck$ via market/product innovation resolving your issues?
Why, what possible motivation do you have to continue this? You have expressed your dislike for the rule set so move on. You have a 40 gig and an association with F18 builders so why even look at the lowly F16?
2 brand new A cats sitting on the beach
1 - 27,000 Gel tek made in Kevlar
1 - 21,000 MM A3 made in full carbon
Which boat are you going to choose? The use of exotics or more exotics for performance is more perception than reality. There is amin weight so building expensive is only really going to buy you bling factor. You can not honestly come on here and tell people that Glen or Mitch beat you around the course becuse their boat was 3 or 4 kg lighter.
Macca,
Thats a disgracefull attempt at undermining a manufacturers product to support your agenda against the F16 class.
Just when I thought you could not stoop much lower......
Shall I post some picures of F18 hull failures (new boats)here to prove a point?
Not going to lower myself that far.
Good luck in your future endeavors - your off my x-mas card list. <img src=
alt=
/>
Marcus
1 - 27,000 Gel tek made in Kevlar
1 - 21,000 MM A3 made in full carbon
Which boat are you going to choose? The use of exotics or more exotics for performance is more perception than reality. There is amin weight so building expensive is only really going to buy you bling factor. You can not honestly come on here and tell people that Glen or Mitch beat you around the course becuse their boat was 3 or 4 kg lighter.
I would choose the A3, the platform is stiffer and I think the boat is better built. Oh and its cheaper too <img src=
alt=
/>
professionally
built F16 platforms that are not withstanding normal use. Now I am certain that its possible to build a F16 to min weight by not using exotics but do do so takes an innordinate amount of time therefore increasing costs far above what is commercially acceptable.
OMG! Evidence please? What is a
good percentage
? Just stating something doesn't make it true.
And what about all the brand new Infusions from your employer that had to have new centreboards because of a HUGE percentage of failures?
Go on, come clean about your REAL agenda macca.
Lets look at from another point of view. In Europe now the customer is protected by various laws that protect their investments...eg the buying of a boat.
Each boat is normally sold with a warrenty eg 12 months and this protects the customer against the failure of the equipment...however the customer is also protected in another way...ie is the goods fit for purpose, in the UK we call it the sales of goods Act...It is part or Euro legislation. Simply put if you paid £1,000, cheap boat,(just change the symbol for appropriate currency) for a boat would you expect it to last as long as a boat that you paid £50,000, expensive boat, Both boats float initially and do their job...however if the cheap boat breaks we say what do you expect...but if the expensive one does you get upset. Now if we make the cheap one 5-10kgs lighter than the expensive one what do you say?
So certainly in Europe boaty builders have to be careful what they do...build a boat 5kg heavier and it is robust or build it lighter and it breaks and they get sued!!!!
However it has been said before on this thread boathandling is key to a lot of things. 1 bad tack costs you 5-10 boat lengths each time...a heavier boat will loose you possibly 5 in a race.
BTW Macca I was going to say the red one...do I have to leave the room?
G'day Stuart,
Boat handeling will cost you more boat lenghts then an extra few kgs and training will pay bigger dividense than removing a few kgs from your boat..... However, whether my boat or crew weight is on min weight or not, I will still put work into boat handeling.
Ensuring my boat and crew weight is at min weight, weight aloft is reduced and boat is sound for the job are esential ingredients for boat preperation for any event.
I will take the most competitive platform out there as I do not want to disadvantage myself from the start. Then I would work on my sailing skills to futher my chances.
Yes, enhancing ones sailing skills is much more important, however going into an event without best preparing your boat is not going to help either.
Post Deleted by MTOWELL