To set the F18 record straight…

Hobie Cat Company USA has supported, and will continue to support, the NAF18 class and F18 racing as Hobie Cat France and Hobie Cat Australia support F18 racing in their regions. Hobie Cat encourages Tigers to race both formula and one design World Wide.

Don't get this confused with a completely unrelated one-design issue going on within the Hobie Class Association events.

The Hobie Companies (World Wide) and the Hobie Class Associations (World Wide) are not suggesting that Hobie sailors should not race where ever and with whomever they want. Hobie Cat understands that one design racing is but one part of the whole sailing experience...

I am sure that plenty of Hobie sailors have been, and will be, working NAF18 events in the future. Several Hobie sailors are on the board, right? Heck... even the Hobie President, Doug Skidmore, was working the weather mark boat at the Performance / NAF18 Nationals event (with Jack Young of Performance) one day last fall. Hobie Cat USA has offered to help run a NAF18 North Americans. Hobie Company / Hobie Sailors have also offered guidance in forming this class and Hobie Cat USA has organized some small amount of funding as well. I'd call that embracing the Formula 18 Class.

You can look at it this way... it's like some big family... Hobie has it's own kids and a bunch of nieces and nephews. They are all family, but can’t Hobie love its own kids best?

There is a time and a place for a family reunion… but there is also a time and a place to go home and hang with just your own kids.