I know you are familiar w/ Div11 and Fleet 54 for example ... but as you are mainly a H16 sailor you may have missed the "Open" Classes
For years there where "Open" Classes at several Hobie Events in Div11 .... these were started because we had fleet members w/ H21SE's, H18Mag, H18SX's, H14 Turbos etc, and were trying to develope friendly compitition and maybe convert some to buying Hobie Products. So we had a "Open Class" so these non-sanctioned boats could come out and play. At one point we had +15 boats competing in "Open" Class on non-HCA-NA sanctioned Hobies and boats produced by other manufacture's. We were all friends and were have alot of fun together. But the inconsistent quality of boat construction and sails by Hobie was undermining our efforts .... then came the infamous IHCA's "Hobie Edict". A Rule never discussed/voted/approved by the local rank & file sailors but instead forced down the throats of the local organizers by the (6) IHCA members that the majority of directly recieve their income (ie:rice bowl) from the Hobie Company/Organizations themselves. Please note that in Div's (north to south) 12, 9, 8, 15, 6 and 10 the "Edicts" effect has been devastating ... literly destroying the local catamaran sailing scene .... splitting long term friendships and making regattas un-sustainable. All these divisions collapsed and many others lost significate numbers of members. Now you do not need to believe me ... just take a look at the numbers from before the IHCA's "Hobie Edict" and after, the proof is there , if you wish to put aside your "Hobie Brand Loyalty" and actually reconize the numbers/trends.
And there is a another side effect .... Most of the "Open" Class Catamarans have joined local yacht clubs ... the "Hobie Sailors" have not. The "buzz" out of California and other places, is that the invitations to "Hobie Catters" will soon end if the YC's don't see increased membership and participation in the YC's. Take my example .... I joined a local YC 3 years ago, I cut the grass weekly, I volunteered to be on the RC for 4-5 events last year alone, and I help organize and cooked a "Homemade Meatball and Spagetti Diner for the Junior Sailing School that served 106 plates and raised approximently $+800.00 between contributions and dinner fees.
Now my YC host's two events/year that cat sailors participate in ... The Annual One-Design that has this year a H14 Class Start, A-Cat Class Start and a "Open" Class ... then there is the Hobie Points Regatta in September ..... and here is the real kicker .... I AM THE ONLY ACTIVE BEACH CAT SAILOR AT THE CLUB !!!!!! I work all spring/summer/fall at various duties so the YC agrees to host these events ... sacrificing my attendence at other events so these events happen. And the "Hobie Only" Edict is not helping .... on any level as it is promoting seperatism/elitism among the catamaran classes (just so a few can keep their jobs????)
(And I do not know how much longer I can convience the Club to host two seperate Regatta's for beach cats as they do not understand the reasoning and consider ALL "Beach Catters" to be from the "Dark Side".)
Harry Murphey TheMightyHobie18(mag)/ Fleet 54, Div11 P19MX/ CRAC, "Open" Class
