FUN

Mark and Carl, your responses are well thought out and not without merit. Instead of runing through each of them and speaking to certain points that you both made, let me just make some generic statements. If CRAM and CRAW and OCRA we the perfect organizations for everyone, their memberships would be increasing in numbers...they are not. If we had to depend on dealers selling boats, we would not have fleets. Hobies are selling well in certain parts of the country, and not well in others. The same thing is true of all cats...they have success where the dealers have been successful. However, there have been many situations where fleets have made the dealer successful, and although that is not my intent, it will happen if my efforts, and the efforts of all those involved, pay off.

"Paper fleets" exist everywhere. They are filled with "t-shirt sailors." These people sign up on websites, or make verbal commitments to sail in events, and don't show up. They are fence-sitters who do not feel a strong enough pull to actually make the commitment to load the boat on the trailer, drive, camp, etc. The organizations previously mentioned do a great job of putting on events, but let's face it, they do not fill the needs of every sailor. In fact, they do not provide the one thing that is necessary for growth...fun.

For you and I, these large organizations provide everything we need...great venues, campgrounds, chase and committee boats, etc. As a competitive sailor, CRAM provides what I need...the opportunity to race some great bodies of water around the state of Michigan.

However, any racing-oriented organization will draw just that...racers. I challenge anyone to try to come up with new sailors who are wiling to put up the $ for a new boat...Hobie, NACRA, whatever, and then jump into the racing scene of these organizations. The intimidation factor is huge. Some people do not feel comfortable hitting the starting line, let alone working their way around a race course.

The rebirth of our fleet here in Detroit is based on the fact that we have something to offer to folks who don't (yet, perhaps) feel comfortable with joining an organization like CRAW or CRAM. The core group of us, who do enjoy racing, travel to CRAM and OCRA races, as well as Division 16 events because they are so well and for the most part, a short drive away. As we introduced fleet sailors to the regatta scene via crewing for us, they got a taste of what that is all about. Through some fleet fun sail events, they have been able to increase their knowledge, technique, and comfort levels. We saw some of them jump into the regatta scene at Catfight this year, and we'll see more join in at regattas next year.

One of the big draws of Hobie sailing is the access to it. Fianancially, a used Hobie is a small investment. As you promote the sport of sailing and the social aspect of fleet membership, its a lot easier to get people to participate if they can afford it. Today's recreational dollars and time get split into many parts.

The availability of affordable boats make it easy for someone interested in learning to sail to get into it. Because of this, as Hobie fleets, we will promote the heck out of fleet participation because its fun. It's going out on a Saturday and sailing around...perhaps to an island offshore. We did that a couple times this year. We had a powerboat take a barbeque grill and all the coolers of food and drink out there. We pulled our boats up on the sand and had a great social time for a few hours. Then we sailed back. This was a great draw for us.

The NAHCA and its divisions have done a great job in the last couple years coming up with ways to get people into sailing. A new program called Hobie 101 has had great success in getting new sailors out on the water. Some of these sailors may turn into racers and some will just continue to enjoy the fleet fun sail days. That's fine by me, that's what the original "Hobie Way of Life" stood for.

I will not have to carry the torch of this revival myself. I already have the support of many other folks around the Division. The mere fact that people are willing to travel to Chicago is enough prooof that there are people who share this same enthusiasm.

With the literally thousands of Hobies that have been sold here in the midwest over the years, there are literally thousands of inactive sailors. The idea is to get a small percentage of them to come out and sail, and come out and enjoy the fun that only fleet sailing can bring. They need to feel comfortable that their 70's vintage boat is welcome - no spin, no kevlar, just the same proven designs that have been around since 1970.

With the Hobie 101 program, fleets around the Midwest will implement the largest come-to-sailing promotion ever seen (not that that says much) this Spring. And then it will be done again through the year and the years to come. In the long run, it will be successful.

I have become a realist. I built our fleet from nothing in the last year. The success can be measured in one way: I have made some of the best friends that I have had all my life, and we have shared some of the greatest times on and off the water. With the continued expansion of this type of approach, Hobie fleets will grow, and new fleets will be created. In the end, all sailing groups will benefit...CRAM, CRAW, OCRA, etc.

If that is "paper fleet" sailing...I'll take a reem.

Jeff