Rick, I think we only get that pretty rule book once every 3 years, right? And don't forget the little quarterly Junior Sailing 6 page magazine.

But this whole "paid for by Vanguard" thing brings up another issue. Why doesn't Hobie and Perf. Cats do more in the way of advertising/funding/sponsoring some kind of youth -learn to sail- type programs like Vanguard does with their Opti's, Lasers and 420's? I know the standard (lame) answer is "There is no money in it so they won't do it..." but to me that is a "Chicken or the Egg" type argument. To create some demand for their products, they are going to have to provide some way for the kids to get on board a cat, at the entry level, just like the Opti. Then once they have learned the basics, they can progress to a youth cat, then an F18.

Seems pretty simple but that will require getting the stodgey old Yacht Clubs to buy some Waves, or Nacra 450's, get some cat instructors, get some youth cats and some F18's, just like they do with their dinghy programs right now. If you don't put the product out there, nobody will want to buy it, how could they if they have never been exposed to it in the first place?

And where is US Sailing in all this? They write the rules and train instructors but then don't offer any physical locations to rent or sail. You must first join the club at some location and then -maybe- you can use one of the club boats, but only if you are enrolled in their lesson program.

I would like to see a nation wide, open to public (no yacht club membership required), sailing program where on any given weekend, a mom, dad and family can show up, get a boat, get an instructor if they need one, and get out on the water, without all the time, money and snooty b.s. involved with joining a "yacht club".

You can do this today with a jet ski, a power boat, even an airplane if you have the qualifications, but not a small sailboat. And the manufacturers wonder why they aren't selling more boats??