What we seem to lack is direct participation in US SAILING from our multihull sailors. The turn out at the US SAILING AGM's and participation is really quite limited. Getting the local sailors to attend has even been a problem. Just look at the Multihull Council link on your forum to see the action. When you review the 2012 decision and even the support for Youth Multihull programs you see the results. I still think it is the Pogo Syndrome, "We have found the Enemy, and He is Us". Unless people step up, take part, and participate, change will not occur.
Caleb,
I don't know about the "pogo syndrome," but it is definitely a "chicken-and-egg syndrome." When people have something tangible to support, they step up and support it and get involved. But in the past 20+ years since the Multihull Council was formed, there has been nothing but talk, because the Multihull Council is not empowered to actually DO anything. So why go to meetings?
Art Stevens is the only person who has actually managed to DO anything. The Fast-and-Fun program introduced thousands of children to catamarans all over the country. I know at some stops he had a hard time getting local cat sailors to show up to help him out with the program.
Now he is taking it up a big notch, and it will be interesting to see how much support he gets from the catamaran community.
I assume he is going to concentrate on bringing his program to yacht clubs, where the members are accustomed to the kinds of costs and logistics it takes to put on an event like he is talking about. And he needs to concentrate on places that can afford to buy one or more SL16's to provide ongoing training on multihulls.
If we can get cats into youth programs at yacht clubs, it will be a major breakthrough. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
