i'll agree that there are many much faster boats than hobie, nacra, and prindles. i'd like to see what one of those really light, fast, and thinly glassed cats would look like after 10 or 20 years of sailing up onto a beach. i beat the hell out of my prindle 16, andt it has held up extremely well. some of us just enjoy pulling up onto a quiet beach, having lunch, and then taking a few fast runs up and down the beach, and if you ask me, you can't beat one of these workhorses for doing just that. sailing is supposed to be fun, and not just competative. i bet i have just as much fun running up and down the beach against another hobie or prindle (nacra too) as anybody else in a race.