Proliferation of single handers

Originally posted by JimC I'm not familiar with the Cat formula class rules, but there's no intrinsic difference between Moth, Merlin or N12/Cherub/I14/12ft Skiff/18ft Skiff rules.

I'd say there are key differences in attitude though. International 14s view themselves as a development class. Change and development are good unless proven otherwise. Merlins want incremental change which does not fundamentally change the boat or make recent boats obsolete.

So consider winged rudders as an example. Both sets of rules initally allowed them. I14s embraced them while while Merlins quickly moved to ban them.

In concept F18 is fairly simple :

Max length 5.52m

Max beam 2.6m

Hull platform 130kg

Boat ready to sail 180kg

Mast and beams must be Alu.

Mast (actually sail height above the platform) is limited

Some crew weight compensation

Sail area is limited

Main 17sqm

Jib depends on crew weight, as does kite.

 

and so on

 

If you really want to know, PDF here :

(via tinyurl : http://tinyurl.com/4y6gq )

Edited by Scooby_simon

Originally posted by Rupert Can someone please explain the practical differences between a development class like a Merlin, and a Formula class like the F18? Both appear to have rules designed to allow gradual development rather than radical leaps, unlike say the A Class or Int Moth, where almost anything goes, so what's the difference?

I'm not familiar with the Cat formula class rules, but there's no intrinsic difference between Moth, Merlin or N12/Cherub/I14/12ft Skiff/18ft Skiff rules. All consist of a list of arbitary measurements and descriptions that you must not breach, otherwise the boat doesn't measure as an xxx. Its just that different classes limit different things.

On sail area for instance, the 12ss and 18s don't limit sail area at all, the 14s only limit upwind area, the Merlins limit area and have some restrictions on the proportions. The 18s have a one design hull, the Merlins some maxima and minima and the clinker requirement, the Moths a beam restriction and a ban on multihulls. No one class is consistently more restrictive or less restrictive in all areas of the rules.

Each Class has evolved different sets of restrictions over its history, there's no especial logic about restricting one thing or another, its just how they evolve. Yet classes can have ferocious debates over whether or not say banning longer or shorter masts is a good thing. And of course if you change the rules in one area it can have a knock on effect on everything else - the classic quote was from 14 designer Paul Bieker "everyone said two trapezes would be a cheap way to go faster - then we all got to chuck our hulls". So in some ways you've got to admire those classes like the Moth and the Merlin that have felt little need to make major rule changes for many years.

Both Merlin and Moth rules sets are such that boats built in each class at the moment are basically very similar, but older boats can be quite different in shape, the Moths probably more so. And the optimum Moth shape does look a bit more extreme to the outsider of course.

Taking a cursory look at the F18 ruleset it looks pretty much like a development dinghy rule except that there are some measurements related to crewsize where different weight crews carry different amounts of lead and maybe different sized kites.


Edited by JimC

I am sure there are cats in their formulas that are not so desirable if you want to be competitive under formula rules

John,

I do not understand this.  Do you mean that some cats that fit the 'rule' are not so desirable, in which case of course this is true as designers come up with new ideas that work, so old designs fall off the back..

The Formula thing sounds great to me. It would also be interesting to see a loose rating rule perhaps, with a sliding scale of measurements so you could trade off length for weight or something. Obviously, there's a hard balancing act for rulemakers and the raciing would be condition-dependent but to some extent that's what happens in many classes today.

It wouldn't be as close as a stricter class, but it could be interesting. You could,  for example, have Formula classes that allowed boats as diverse in design but sort of similar in performance as (say) a Scow Moth, Blaze and Contender to race together as a class, with separate OD results. The Assy Canoe, RS 700 and MPS would form another group.

It wouldn't be perfect, but perhaps it would be better than just handicap racing.