Here's the scoop on trampolines or any other Hobie manufactured, required parts. Dealers have to make a little $$ in order to support regattas and we can't sell the trash aftermarket tramps that fall apart in 2 seasons like the guy selling them on Ebay out of his garage.

For example, I just showed up with about $30,000 worth of support gear to the Havamega. A chase boat, with a brand new engine, Marks, anchors, rodes, radios, etc, etc. I showed up with every tool that you would need to fix a boat and a trailer, including a welder, parts trailer, weigh scale. It's like a regatta in a box. That figure doesn't include stock.

That kind of support doesn't come from a guy tinkering around in his garage with inferior quality materials, and an overall inferior product.

Yeah, I sell aftermarket tramps too. My aftermarket tramps are about $75 over what they go for on ebay, because I have a manufacturer that makes them right and has been doing it for a long time. BUT... they aren't the heat welded quality tramps that Hobie sells that outlast pretty much anything on the market 5 times or more.

So, coming at it from my own microcosm, business point of view, I probably wouldn't show up to a regatta where the boats don't support me in return. The 'Hobie' infrastructure is a HUGE deal to most people that race (to the vast majority), and I hear all the time that people feel that it adds a ton of value to their Hobie boats in the one-design configuration.

For example, I won't even broker a Hobie that is not completely 'Hobie'. They don't have as much value.

Other than high quality parts, Hobie products have the added value of a huge worldwide infrastructure that supports Catamaran sailing all over the planet...including a stout dealer network that supports local sailing.

IWCA should take this into account if they want to grow their class.

j