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Catamaran development
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=25012		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  gmhendo [ Fri May 21, 2010 9:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Catamaran development
If you have the time this article is a very informative read. It also has some great pics within the article and at the end, so if short on time, the pics are worth a look. Whilst it is about cat design, much of it is focused on F18 and "A" class cats. The Wildcat gets a lot of attention , but there is a lot about F18 development ahead of the Wildcat.
IMHO the article offers insight into where cat design is going (gone?) and shows what we can look forward to.

http://catsailingnews.blogspot.com/sear ... %20WildCat
Author:  Africat [ Sat May 29, 2010 4:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Catamaran development
Great interview! And great blog overall. Added both to my bookmarks.

Although I'm not sure what A-cat and F18 news have to do with H17/FX-One...
Author:  gmhendo [ Tue Jun 01, 2010 2:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Catamaran development
Quote:
Although I'm not sure what A-cat and F18 news have to do with H17/FX-One...



That's true enough, it probably belongs in the 18 section. I love sailing, I love catamarans and I love my 17, but I also like to see what else is going on. Sooner or later those changes trickle down to other classes and levels, and it's nice to see it coming. And here is a little more catamaran cheesecake: http://dnacat.blogspot.com/2010/05/pics ... boats.html

From a more pragmatic view, these carbon rocket ships are damn expensive to buy (around US$22,000+) and own. A Kevlar sail might only go a season before the fibres (Australian spelling) fail, or a new dagger board (like the curved boards) comes along and immediately dates your boat. And it helps if you are a rocket scientist to be able to drive the new boat and take advantage of it's potential.
So the price of boats goes up a lot, the cost of keeping the boat at peak performance is up and the ordinary sailor who is content with his skills begins to feel isolated. This is not good for the development of "ordinary" sailing, and has led to the collapse of classes in the past. If that can be changed - I don't know if it could or should - but I like to see it coming.
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