[3] Morrelli & Melvin, the boat's designers, summed up the design philosophy with the following quote:[4] The Formula 16 is on the small end of the scale for the crew weight range specified by ISAF (120 kg to 140 kg) and, in our opinion, would be more exciting and challenging to sail for Olympic-caliber sailors if it had a more powerful sail plan.

Compared to an F16 class catamaran, it is 250mm longer, 100mm wider, has a taller mast and more sail area, and curved dagger boards.

Designed specifically for the Mixed Multihull criteria the Evaluation Panel concluded the NACRA 17 is seen as the best option.

Featuring curved dagger boards providing vertical lift, the NACRA 17 will carry a wider –range of crew weight better than the 16 footers and is considerably lighter than a Formula 18.

The modern NACRA 17 also offers the sailors in the Mixed Multihull Event the exciting challenge of mastering the potential lift of the curved daggerboards.