"If I had one person, just one, really interested in knowing more about the boat [there is one another boat being built as I speak], more than just a casual passing interest, I'd be enthused, but after SEVEN YEARS of racing and seldom being beat by any other 14, and that's without the kite, I'd be buoyed but realistically I've run out of time. I'm 66yrs old and it's time to other things."
Something to consider...you have put 7 years of your life into this concept, do you really want to walk away form it just when the rest of the catamaran world is starting to come around to the Formula format of cat racing? A format that might allow your design to thrive. You say you are 66 years old and it's time for other things...are the “other things” you have in mind going to be as personally fulfilling as your cat design? You have obviously laid the groundwork at a high price...do you really want to turn and walk away from all that?
Maybe the "other things" you speak of could be as simple as taking a different perspective on what you have already accomplished. Instead of seeking approval from others, the secret is enjoying the process of conceiving and actually turning into reality, the dream of a better 14’ catamaran. You write as a man beaten and disillusioned. From the description of your boats performance it has been an unqualified success. You have let the lack of acceptance by the masses strip you of the joy you should have experienced in making a personal dream a reality. Celebrate the unique creative spark that God put in you and don’t let your joy hinge upon the approval of others. The masses lack any vision regarding their own lives, what makes you think they will see and understand the vision that is uniquely yours?
It appears as if there may be a chance of breathing new life into your dream. Instead of abandoning your project, perhaps it is just time for the next chapter. A combination of your groundwork, experience and vision along with Jeff’s energy and ability to get a group of kids interested in sailing at his cub might be just the catalyst. Stay closely involved with your boats evolution, it is your child ( so to speak), nurture it, don’t throw away the countless hours dreaming, conceiving, along with the blood sweat and tears that culminated into your exceptional boat.… a more fulfilling realization of your dream may be just around the next bend…
