I don't often understand nor agree with Mark, but he wins the prize here.
Originally Posted by Mark Schneider
[Chris,
Your fundamental mistake is that you are confusing a Hobie Fleet/Yacht club with the sailors racing one design on a Hobie xx at some YC's/catamaran club event.
If my Yacht Club, offers any group of catamarans a start if they have 5 or more boats... and you start a campaign to pull one of those sailors out and have him start a NEW Yacht Club and then have this Club/Fleet run a race with at least one Hobie in a class = a race.... What do you think the volunteers at the Yacht Club and I would have to say about your efforts?
Now consider the fact that many of these organizations USED to belong to the Hobie universe of yacht clubs before they were forced to choose a different path...
Instead of trying to compete with the existing organizations that make catamaran racing go in the states you mention you should find ways to support those clubs that are vital to cat racing in huge chunks of the country.
... Perhaps you should look for FLEET CAPTAINS who would beat the bushes for Hobie XX's ... organize the troops, and get them to turnout at the YC events in the region and try to make those events as successful as possible.
