Formula 14 Catamaran Association

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 Adelaide's S.A. Sailing Supplies, Beach rollers, Staymasters, Harnesses, Harken , Barz,GPS, Welcome to the formula 14 catamaran (F14), web site

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the formula 14, catamaran (F14), web site.

The F14 association has been formed to promote racing for 14’ (4.3m) catamarans along similar guidelines to the formula 18 (F18), for 18’ catamarans, the F16 for 16’ catamarans, and A class catamarans.

The similarities between these “classes”, are primarily that all of them, formula’s/classes, can be manufactured/built by any, company, builder, or individual, to within the building dimensions as set out within their respective “box” rules. Unlike “one design” classes, these rules allow adequate areas for individual innovation and variety, of design, of sails and building materials, etc, within their “formula” to allow the freedom of expression and design, for all builder/racers.

As long as a “formula” catamaran does not fall outside their “box rule” they can all race against each other, within their formula/class, for “across the line first wins”.

This differs fundamentally from “one design classes” where each of the individual catamarans that race, can only race for “line honours” against their own make/class, all of which must have been built by the one “manufacturer”, or in the case of an association controlled class of cat, to very specific dimensions governed by their association, to the degree that each cat shall be as near identical as possibly. The only way that one design classes can race against cats of similar size, etc, not of their “class”, is to race by incorporating a “corrected time of finishing” handicap.

The formula for F14 cats has created a very exciting, high performance, racing catamaran that can race with, and alongside catamarans of much greater size, and still finish races well up with the leaders on those larger classes of cats.

The rigging, trailing, storing, and sailing of an F14 are so much easier and simpler than for any of those above-mentioned larger classes, and yet it has a sailing performance equitable to them.

The question has to be asked, why pay double or triple the price for an A class, F18, or F16, only to achieve the relatively similar performance of an F14 ?

 

 

 

Box Rule

 
The “Box rule” governing an F14 catamaran is

The “Box rule” governing an F14 catamaran is

The craft must be a catamaran, having two identical hulls of equal volume, with the rudders attached at/to the transom/s.

 

1. Length Over All.

L.O.A. of the hulls (excluding only foils, rudders, all rudder fittings, and spinnaker pole with fittings)                                                

14’ 1 1/4”         4.3 metres

2. Maximum Beam (Overall)

8’ 0”     2.438 metres

3. Mast Height

Mast height is unrestricted, although the mast can only form a percentage of the mainsail area of no more than 15%, albeit that the circumference of the mast shall not exceed 400mm, i.e. no “solid” wing mast/sail (articulated or not).

The sail(s) shall be of a single “laminate” fabric.

4. Maximum Sail Area

The sail(s), including half the area of the mast bounded by the luff length of the main sail without having any wrinkles or folds, shall not exceed

300.00 sq feet. 27.87 sqm

Albeit that the maximum allowable area of a spinnaker/reacher shall be no more than

150.00 sq feet 13.93 sqm

and the combined “working sail(s)” including half the area of the mast bounded by the luff length of the main sail shall not exceed

150.00 sq feet 13.93 sqm

The maximum total area includes the combination of the areas of ALL sails plus half the area of the mast bounded by the luff length of the main sail. The measurements of all the sails shall be by the calculation of the “actual” sail/mast area.

5. Construction

Materials are unrestricted

6. Minimum Weight

All up minimum sailing weight, excluding only the crew.

165.35 lb (imp) 75Kg

7. Foils

Any/all foils used for the stablelization of pitch, and for the “lifting” of the hull (s) in/out of the water are allowed.

8. Built in buoyancy

Closed cell foam (poly styrene or similar), is required to be fixed internally in the hulls, sufficient to maintain the vessel, and its crew, in the upright position, with the hulls at, or above the surface of the water, when one or both hulls are completely full of water. (Safety rule)

9. Centre/Dagger boards, Rudders and Hulls.

Any centre/dagger boards and/or rudders shall not be included within the maximum beam/length as described within the “box rule”.

10. Number and weight of crew

Weight and number of crew is unrestricted, (with reference to “Crew and Crew Weight” in the preceding section of the class rules)

11. Spinnaker pole

Any spinnaker pole and/or fittings shall not protrude further forward of the forward most point of the bows (measured at 90 degrees from the centre of a line connecting the two most forward parts of the bows of each hull), by more than one metre.

12. From time to time

By an agreed vote by the executive of the F14 catamaran association, those catamarans that do not fit within the preceding “box rule” definitions (from item no 1. through to item 11. inclusive) may be allowed inclusion to sail/compete with and against all those catamarans that comply to the afore mentioned items, 1. through to and including item 11, by being afforded an appropriate handicap/rating, designed to keep all racing results fair and equitable between the different “classes” of catamarans so competing.

 
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