GREAT but the biggest North American Tiger regatta in 08 was the NA's with 12 boats and 35 or so Class Members. The market is speaking pretty clearly.... OD is not winning the day in the USA.
(Source Nahca standings)
Congratulations, you found a limited piece of data to support the conclusion you wanted to draw...
One design is second to WHAT, exactly?
The F18 situation is the US is somewhat unique. Tiger sailors, given the chance to do a Tiger NAs or a F18 NAs seem to be going to the larger event (this has been discussed at length here).
That in NO WAY means ALL OD cat sailing is slipping to open classes. Hobie 16s and A-Cats, at a minimum, have larger NAs than any "open" class events.
Further, at points regattas, H16s, A-Cats and Tigers tend to have larger classes than any open fleets.
Mike
Did you read the thread?
Original Post. WOW... look at the F18 turnout... A Formula Class! the Sailing World should take notice with respect to Olympics.
Wouter expanded on the idea... ISAF is looking backward. It's a mistake... The F18 is not one design... it's formula and the majority of Tiger sailors have updated their boat to compete... OH... the Class rules changed yearly to keep these developments OD class legal. ISAF should drop the OD mania and pick a formulae class.
Mark,wrote.. The OD focus of F18 sailors is going...going and almost gone. . the Hobie Tiger ONE DESIGN CLASS... started with 100 boats in the US... and has declined to a dozen boats over several years despite the growth of the F18 class and the continual rule changes to keep up with F18 changes. My point is the USA F18 sailors have bought the formulae concept (like the rest of the world) ... not the frozen in time one design concept. (FYI... the A class is another Formula Class). This data makes wouter's point that the Formulae classes are replacing OD classes embeded within them. This debate is about F18's. My statement does not infer or paint with a broad brush the Hobie 16 class for instance.. (err.. what point regattas are the A class invited to?)
I disagree with Wouter that they should pick a formula class for the Olympics... I also disagree that they should pick the OD Tiger Class. It destroys a sailboat racing class. Instead I proposed a two tier path... F18 stays the way it is... (above ISAF BS politics and the pressures.) The Formula class is an entry point for new racers and a high level training platform world wide. Teams can move up to Olympic ISAF grade one events on the One Design Tornado for Olympics.
SteveM and NAcaraKid agree with my point and add a junior boat as well.
Nobody is talking about OPEN CLASS RACING IN THIS THREAD...Nobody is saying ALL OD will go the way of the dodo bird. You toss out a huge red herring.
Tiger sailors racing in the F18 class is not OD sailors slipping to the dreaded Open class.
Open class racing addresses a different problem. IMO If you are not getting 10 boats in your formulae or OD class.. Open class racing probably grows the pool of sailors in the long run. (Seems to work well where catamaran racing is far more popular but hey... why should we pay attention) But this is a different thread.
Now... the NAHCA debate of what should they do with TWO F18 class boats (Tiger and Wildcat) is a giggle and relevant to the F18 Class and possible Olympic selection. For years.. the F18 sailors have requested NAHCA drop the restriction that the OA not allow an F18 class. Now you have two Hobie F18 designs that will race each other in the rest of the world... but if the OD mania rules... not in a Hobie regatta.... It's a sad giggle what such rigidity has wrought.
Hobie has to pretend that the Tiger OD model is going great guns world wide for the Olympic ISAF pitch... Obviously the USA scene is a little out of tune with this song ... BUT... it's far better then the US Tornado racing scene. It's an ISAF battle and will be decided in the fall. (By the way... have they asked the class if the Tiger want's to become Olympic?)
I predict that once the IOC decides if sailing gets more slots and ISAF gives them to catamarans and then ISAF chooses a OD between the ... OD Tiger or OD Tornado the politics will change. If the Tiger is not picked.... the Tiger OD class will gracefully fold into the F18 world. The NA scene will have a chance to serve the sailors and not the politics/ business model of dealers.
So.... New thread if you are up for it.. ... Will the NAHCA continue to prevent their member club OA's from running F18 OD events or other formula one design events? ... (I won't even ask about serving the Hobie dead boats in an open class race)
