It is my opinion that the sport is slowly dying due to competition from Jet Ski's and other new pass-times. And you will remember that back in the mid 70's there was an Oil Embargo here in the USA, which put gasoline at very high prices, and the Hobie Cats had just come out. So lots of people wanted to get in on this "New, exciting, way to have fun in the water" without waiting in long lines on odd numbered days to buy gasoline.

But it's not just that, back then, there were no cell phones, computers, game boys or even Cable TV. Thus you had about no in-home entertainment for the kids, so you took them to the beach in the summer. Now a days, kids stay in the nice airconditioned safety of their own bedrooms all summer, chatting online to adult pediphiles posing as 15 yr. old friends on My Space.

And, their parrents are too busy working two jobs to pay for the BMW, or conducting business 24-7 via cell phone and lap-top, to take them to the beach. They would much rather drop them at the local Yacth Club (if there is one) to sail Opti's all day. And much of what used to be public beach back in the 70's, is now private, no access beach.

It's a different world out there. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />