You are absolutely correct.

I think the line of proposed boats c.q classes certainly reflects this as well. All are present in ample numbers all over the world. The nacra 5.0 c.q. 500 class needs reviving, but I'm sure you'll find a willing ear at the European Nacra importer. They are reporting many sales of this boat and I'm sure they are happy to form a class with them. We just need to make sure that nacra doesn't change the design every 2 years from now on. I suspect none of the other classes like F18's and A-cats will object to accepting a youth pipeline being fed into their classes. They would be foolish to do so. Same for the Tornado and F16 classes.

Okay, I admit there are some impressive fools about. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />


I think it most promising to start contacting the individual international classes and try to work out a plan that is publically supported by all. This costs no money so they will be hard pressed to object. It is just some prominantly featured webpage on the international and national sites and some promise to try to work out some small coaching programs and clinic for young teams new to the class. The classes are big enough to be able to find a few enthousiastic volunteers to do something like this on a small scale. Doesn't have to be large scale from the start, just start small, proof the concept and then steady expand it over time.


Being noticed by the ISAF, RYA, US sailing and others is just more paper (e-mails) too. We just need somebody with some spare time and a high resistance against maddening bureaucray to exert continued pressure over long periods of time. We give this person standing and power by having all the class in the youth traject refer to him for any communication on these topics. In short, create a single focal point for these monolithic organisations and empower him. Then they can also not say that they didn't know who to contact anymore. Solves that issue as well.

Up till now this has all been "no-budget" activities, just takes time and dedication.

The hard part is to get an active "get them young" youth program going on the Nacra 500 (and Hobie 16's) and the cat alternative to the Lasers. This will require organising small events and more serious coaching. I think Mark Schneider has the right angle here. Start at the sailing clubs, contacting them and convince them to allow you to place a demo boat there and have access to their coach/young sailors. Only a few key clubs at first and then steadily expand the programs. Start small, proof the concept and expand later. That may luck futile at first but it will work.

That should cover the organisational and international unity side of things, at least as a start.


The other hard thing is finding or designing the catamaran alternative to the laser. Establishing that class will be major project. With the F12 I can offer a head-start but it will still not be easy. On the other hand I have received over the months inquiries from Norway, UK, USA, Holland, Spain and even places like Thailand. For a project that has no real internet presence I find that very encouraging. It seems to touch a snare in many people, they appear to like concept.

I dare venture that building it is easy enough to form small local building groups of enthousiasts. Some people inquiring about the F12 mentioning forming such groups themselves. It appears many do not find homebuilding an F12 as daunting as say home building an A-cat or F16. On the advice of Phill Brander I'm sticking to an easy to build hull shape. All the other stuff like homebuilding a mast and the sails are really not hard to do. I just measured up my class 5 sail and there is no seaming there. Just stichting panels together with reinforcements and cutting a luff curve. There is not bolt rope, eyes or other more complicated stuff required. It is on a par with stitching your own stunt kites and many a homebuilder has done that. I also envision having the boat owner cost his own panels and supplying that with proper a thread to a decent sized shoe/bag maker and have him use his industrial sized machine to stitch the stuff together. Otherwise if have contacts who could do it professionally and send it over. The package is small and light so should cost too much

What I'm trying to say here is that I think we can also make the laser alternative work. It will be more involved and require some committed hands-on activity but it can be made to work even without companies like Vanguard involved. Never count on their support, that way you are garanteed proper support by them.

The other alternative is to approach a company like VectorWork Marine and have them do the hulls which will then be completed by the homebuilders themselves. This is attractive to VWM as their core business is tooling and production but not chandlery and fitting out boats. The later is time consuming, expensive and takes alot of organising. So if the group of dedicated buyers is large enough then that route can be made to work as well. Maybe find similar setups using guys like Steve Clark and his semi-professional "shed" ? I think I know a likely victom in Australia as well. Once such programs are about getting kids into sailing many people can't just say "no!" anymore. Lets abuse that !

Yes I think both complementary tracks can be made to work with a "no budget" to "low budget" approach. Once the concept is starting to proof itself we can go and hunt for sponsors to expand the programs and maybe get on the road.

This is the way I would approach the situation.

Wouter