Carl-
There is a niche for the simple design boat for everyone no matter what the skill level. Look at Rick White! When I was coming back from Key West last year I stopped off at their place. He said then that he really liked the Wave and Mary told me before I ordered my ARC22 [May2000] that she felt things were turning to more simple boats. My 22 is about as simple to sail as a Wave with its self-tacking jib, wide beam, etc. The only thing you have to do extra is raise the boards. But putting it together as well taking it down is a curse. With my Tornado I had a tilit trailer. You can't do that with the 22 because the mast is too long and heavy. Thats the best part of the simplier boats that can be assembled by almost anyone; they don't require someone else to sail. I have my 22 on the trailer all up about 100 yards from the ramp but that lake is small and boring to sail on with that boat because of the speed you seem to tack about every 20 minutes. My F25c goes togther in less than an hour and is fairly quick.
Another point for the simplier boats is the safety aspect of less speed. Speed is great in the right hands but if it gets wild out there and a sunfish pulls in front in a channel/tight area there can be carnage. For example I was on my SC20 with a novice [first date/first time on a cat] and some teenagers manuvered their Sunfish right in front of me. I was going at least 15mph and there was absolutely no where to go. I could either run over them or fly over them. We were on a broad reach after we tacked to come out of the cove and discover several motor boats had come in behind us. It was so crowded. If I fell off I would cause some to run into me, if dumped the sails we would roll over them, and the power boat going my way decided to come up and talk while I was in the cove. The teenagers in front wanted to see the catamaran. I ended up going up [into the wind] to catch some extra thrust, hauled in the main [went from braod reach to close reach] and flew the hull over the top of the Sunfish in between two power boats. I almost capsized the boat [low rudder came out of the water] but we cleared the Sunfish mast because my crew pulled up the high board when I asked her. I was amazed how easily it came up because it usually jammed alittle. She thought that was fun; all I thought was I'm glad no one is dead...
Thats why I don't like bouy racing with all the boats starting at the same time in large events. The faster boats need more breathing room. I'm sure you have come up on slower boat and wondered if you can stop the T if they jump in front of you??? Especially with a new crew. Once I jumped off the back of my T to slow it down to avoid a collision with a J24. Climbing back up after being dragged from the rear beam is tiring at the least.
Dropping someone into a fast boat with no experience on the slower ones could easily lead to disaster. There is no way to control which boat someone buys but if other catsailors take the time to explain the differences more people could come into the ranks [minus the bad experiences] and make the sport grow. The only reason I was able to avoid the disaster i mentioned above is because I had been sailing cats for fifteen years at that time [1981] and had capsized/pitchpoled many times.
thom
