This is not really about the HavaMega anymore .... this about us, the members of the HCA-NA being able to control our organization and impliment changes that we feel are needed. My analogy for the IHCA is that they are acting like a "ruling class" ...ie: Royalty. We, the ruling class knows whats best for you peasants, and must keep you sefe from yourself. Now we sent all the "royalty" packing here in America a long, long time ago ... I remember learning about something called "The American Revolution" ... so this kind of organzational structure doesn't work for too long here in the USA. It just goes against our basic "belief system".
Jeremy, I'll ask the question that nobody whats to hear or answer about the IHCA's biggest policy ... has the IHCA's policy of "Hobie Only" been a success??? Has Hobie sold more boats? .... Has regatta attendence increased because of this policy? Has the HCA-NA's membership increased???
Let's ask the Hobie owners south of Div11 (Maryland).... there isn't a Hobie "Points Regatta" south of Maryland down to the Florids Keys and across the "Gulf Coast to the Mexican Border .... Gulfport YC, Florida is BEGGING for a Hobie Fleet and can not find anyone interested. Why? There used to be numerous Hobie Fleets in this very large area and now there is how many active fleets since the "Hobie Only" Edict???
Matt and Brucat please do not give me any BS here .... prove me wrong by stating FACTS!!!!! I do have all my old "Hotlines" w/ the racing results listed, do you want me to dig them out? .... Digging your heads into the sand will not change the realility .... walking around telling me (and others) "you are just thinking negatively" will not change the reality either .... The analogy I think fits best is the story of "The Emperor and his New Clothes". Or I can put it bluntly ... I'm tired of the IHCA "pissing on my leg and telling me it's only raining". The ol' Hobie Guard has to reconize the facts and make changes to the IHCA before it's too late. Please note you'll only reconize when it's too late until after it truely is ....
The IWCA members were just "Dis-Invited" from every "Hobie Points Regatta (effectively) by the IHCA. They will not call or E-Mail you ... they will simply just go away and play somewhere else. (And Mike/Brucat, to answer your earlier question, at this point if I was a "Wave" sailor you could GIVE me a charter boat to use and airplane tickets to get to Havasu and I would tell you ...PISS-OFF ... I will not attend and race under IHCA rules, it's the principle. H_ll, I don't even want to race my TheMightyHobie18 under IHCA rules anymore ......)
Chris, Before you get some rule written making it illegal to "re-cut" your sails I would suggest that you ask two questions:
1) What was causing everyone to have their sails re-cut??? Poor quality?, poor design/under performance, no consistencey in performance from sail to sail?
2) What options do I have to fix a "poor" sail if I'm not allowed to have the sail Re-Cut?
I've had 4 sets of sails for my TheMightyHobie18 over the years ... two sets were good .... one set was "adequate" .... and another set should have been re-cut but I sold them off to a friend who is only a "Rec/Beach Sailor" w/ the statement not to use that set for racing as they did not perform well against other TheMightyHobie18's.
Harry Murphey
PS: Chris you are on the correct path, so I'll leave you w/ this latin phrase ... "illigitami non carbarundum" (Translation: Don't let the Bastards wear you down) Please note, the spelling may not be quite correct but it's close.
