Mark,

I support the framework that Dean has put in place as well, especially the team atmosphere and emphasis on physical conditioning. I am also very aware of the difference between OD sailing and an Olympic campaign. This will be especially true for the Nacra 17- there will simply not be enough boats for domestic OD class racing, and that is perfectly ok.

What my questions were hoping to find, and what I still don't think exists, was some plan for a development pathway for multihull sailing. Dean has said in several places that the current development pathway in the US is not working, and I agree with him on that point. So the question is, how to fix it?

If we look at the case of Multihulls, there is currently no coherent path for a young sailor looking to develop their skills. There are definitely outstanding individual programs (SYSP is a great example), but nothing nationwide. Personally, I would like to see the youth multihll championship incorporated into either the Chubb Jr. Championships or the Youth Champs. I think having it as a separate event places it a rung below the "premier" youth championships, and hurts participation. We all know the challenge there would be having boats available, and I honestly don't know the solution to that problem.

The "If your goal is the Olympics... go for it" attitude is fine, but the countries that are winning medals have clear pathways to develop their sailors. Until we start putting similar pathways in place, I don't see us keeping up.