Hi Guys,

Ok, let me state first my bonofides... I am a HCA-NA member and Race a TheMightyHobie18 ... I am a CRAC member, own and race a P19MX ... I help organize at the Yacht Club I'm a member at a "Open" class start at the "Annual One-Design" Regatta in June and a seperate "Hobie Points" Regatta also, in September ....

Now there is (IMHO) two seperate issues here ... the infamous "Hobie Only" Policy and the "mandatory membership in the HCA-NA for attendence at a "Hobie Points" Regattas.

Both of these policies have led to some REALLY hard and intrenched feelings .... local relationships that had taken years to develope were destroyed by "national or international" forces with no stake in the local scenes around the country.

Now ... that was then, under completely different leadership then now. It is my belief that the current HCA-NA leadership has realized the mistakes of those policies in the "short term" and are trying to make changes that benefit the "long term" continuation and growth of our sport. It is important that we learn from the past and incorporate the lessons learned in/for the future. People like Mr Chris Wessels, Matt Bounds, Mike Levueqe(spelling?) and many others are working hard to make our sport better for all of us ...CATAMARANERS/MULTIHULLERS!!!!!

So, "constructive critisism" is needed to point out mistakes and false paths ... but "flogging" is out ... FURBOTTEN .....

Mike, I think you once stated you started HobieCatting" around 1998? It was somewhere around that time the "Hobie Only" edict was announced I believe ... it hurt alot of people locally as they saw the local sailing scenes that they had worked at developing basically destroyed ... on the east coast Div16 and Div11 survived (in NJ) ... New England and everything south of the Mason-Dixon line ... basically GONE!!! So I ask you to bare with and understand how deep the hurt is to all those that were involved in Cat sailing when that edict was announced ... like elephantes people have long memories ... and they will be leary of investing emotions and hard work to only be hurt again. I have spoken to Chris Wessels and you w/ some ideas/concepts/program about the "Mandatory Membership" requirement for attendence at a Hobie Points Regatta ... please think about my comments ... (let's be inclusive, not exclusive)

But ... you do know when I re-newed my membership for the 08' season ... and you also know when I re-newed my 09' membership .... you may take that as a vote of confidence that I think you are on the correct path.

Sail Flat, Sail Fast, Sail Safe ...
Harry Murphey
TheMightyHobie18/#9458, Fleet54/Div11
P19MX/#86, CRAC-Open Class