I sympathise entirely with the frustration that is evident with most cat sailers over the apparent disdain in which we are currently being treated by the “establishment” that controls ALL yachting, not only nationally but internationally. I have stated previously, and I will not go into great reiteration of my previous opinions, suffice it to say that, ALL that is occurring now is just a repeat of what occurred 25 years ago. Arguments were made then for multihulls to completely disassociate themselves from the “mainstream” yachting authorities as we were just being “used” to top up their finances then completely ignored as far as any benefits and/or input were concerned. The same arguments then, by the more conservative of the day, were made (and won the day) that we should become more “involved” within the management of the appropriate yachting authorities. Many of us, at the time did just that, but after many, many years of “trying from the inside” to improve the situation for multihulls, most, if not all of us from those days, finally recognised the hard reality of the situation, that being that, no matter how hard we tried, and no matter how many rep’s we had “on the inside”, our voices would still not be of great enough number or “loud enough” be taken into any real consideration. That is why I say now, as I did then, that no matter the difficulties, the only way for multihull sailers to receive any equality within sailing administration circles, is to break away and form our own governing body separate from any YA.
As I have said before, if we don’t we will be having this very same debate again in another 20 years.
A leopard doesn’t change its spots and the YA’S are very large “mono” leopards! (cats with only one leg???)