I think the answer is we must support ALL Youth Multihull programs: Hobie Cat Association, Internation Hobie Cat Association, US SAILING Youth Multihull Programs, North American Youth Multihull Association, NAMSA, your local Community Sailing Centers, and Yacht Clubs.

Our multihull program at Sail Sand Point in Seattle has taken seven years to develop. We now have five Waves and six Hobie 16's, all donated with no expenditure of capital funds. We have expanded from just a storage facility to sailing classes and programs including the Waves in youth cruising camps, and open sailing to now include classes for youth and adults on the Hobie 16's. This has all been done with the direct support of our local Hobie Cat Dealer, Hobie Cats Northwest (now located at SSP) and all our local Multihull Sailors. Yes, we have mulihull sailors that sail and own ALL types of multihulls including the larger tri's and cat's.

Art brought the US SAILING Fast and Fun program to Seattle in 2001, then back in 2002. This helped get our programs going. His goal is do similar programs with NAYMA, to promote new youth programs in new areas. The target areas will be areas that do not have established programs or facilities with current youth multihull programs.

Our local volunteers trained and supported three youth teams from SSP at the recent US SAILING Youth Multihull Championship in California. They all had a good time, and a life experience they will never forget. The youth teams will continue to compete in our Monday night races at SSP, and Hobie Cat regattas. At least two of the Youth sailors will continue to be US SAILING certified instructors at SSP, on both monohulls and multihulls.

This is how you build and support Youth Multihull programs.

Caleb Tarleton
SSP,HCA, US SAILING,NAMSA,NAYMA,and anyone else that promotes Youth Multihull Programs.