Jeff Alter was the top North American,
As I mentioned before, Jason Hess / Irene Abascal (Guatemala) were the top placing North Americans (5th place). As for age, Jason and Irene are in their 20s.
Jeff is 50 + years old and has not seriously raced the Hobie 16 since 2004.In fact my sources tell me he has not been on a 16 since that time.
Jeff raced on a 16 at the 2005 North Americans (Ventura, CA)and at 40th Anniversary Regatta (Dana Point, CA 2008). He was campaigning a Tiger during that time period, too. However, since Hobie Sr.'s illness started in 2009, the family has "circled the wagons" to support him and make sure the grandkids spend time with him.
But your point is well taken - Jeff Alter has not been on the boat in a long while - and yet he was the second-highest placing North American at the worlds. It just goes to show what a formidable competitor he was/is. He's also feeling his age - in speaking with him at the awards banquet, he was surprised at how sore he was.
The Hobie 16 Class is aging.
That's been going on for a long time. It's not just Hobie 16s, either. It applies to almost all catamaran classes in North America, with the exception of perhaps the F16.
Now look the New Caledonia team, the fact of the matter is they are all pretty young.
Younger than most of the North Americans for sure, but they certainly aren't kids. Most are in their 30's.
Not sure how many people have Raced in a Major Laser Class Regatta lately but most of the really good guys are Young ,**** and push the Rules very hard. they are also very good at inventing ways to make the boat go faster using Kenitics.
And that's why they have on-the-water Rule 42 judging.
In fact ,at the 2009 North Americans I had a guy from Puerto Rico crew for me (had also previously crewed for Enrique and Legal),this guy did more sail pumping and Oohing then I was comfortable with. Not saying this is right,just saying that is how it is with some younger sailors.Hence why the Laser Masters Class is so much more popular with the aging Laser Sailors. The Lasers Master Class is more like your normal Hobie 16 Class,where for the most part the Sailors are pretty well behaved ,and obviously Older.
The Laser is a very physical boat - especially at the top end of the fleet. Just look at what kind of physical shape Anna Tunnicliffe is in. The division between Masters/Open in to give the older, less physically fit sailors a chance to compete on an even playing field.
The Laser Masters fleet is no better behaved than the Open Laser fleet - I've judged both and if anything, the Masters are harder to police. There is truth to the saying that age and treachery will overcome youth and exuberance. The Masters have learned where the edge of the rules are and push to the limit, but rarely over. The younger sailors haven't learned where that edge is and it's obvious when they step over it.
When Brett Dryland won his first Worlds he was 18 years Old.I don,t see any Young Hobie Sailors here in North America that are close to World Class Level.Apperantly as one guy posted that is a good thing.
I don't think it's a good thing. I think there are bigger fish to fry - like keeping the class alive.
There's an age gap in sailing - we're good at getting kids involved. We had a Hobie 16 Youth North Americans in 2013 with 32 competitors. But we lose them between the ages of 21 and 30something - if they come back at all.
I would be interested to know what they are doing in New Caledonia and if in fact the Class is thriving?
I think one of the reasons New Caledonia has been so dominant is the same reason the Latin Americans are: they've picked one boat (Hobie 16) and they concentrate on it. In the US and Canada, we're dying the death of 1000 cuts by splintering into dozens of classes.
