Okay, so NAHCA did it again. No, I'm not surprised at their actions, but I have to tell you, X-Boats have never been a problem at any of the regattas I've been at in the Northeast; they're always less than 10% of the boats.

I'm in Fleet 119 in Division 16, and we've always supported the Hobie Class because we knew that one-design racing was the right way to enjoy sailing. But, we also know that being arrogant and up-tight about every little thing just created more fences and decreased communication between people who actually enjoy the same thing; sailing.

Here's our Fleet's mission statement written quite a few years ago: "Our Mission: Our club is dedicated to the pursuit of sailing for its own sake; to provide a safe, family environment for all to enjoy multihull beach craft; and to develop safe sailing skills in all of our members. Our club strives for continuous improvement in the sport and we recognize our obligations to our community. Though we participate in racing, we do so as a fun activity; we do it for the love of the outdoors, our members, and being in harmony with the sea".

We have 40 boats on the beach in our Fleet: three Nacras, three Hobie 14s; 10 Hobie 18s; one Hobie 21. Are we to tell all of these people that we can no longer provide a race for them? The Tigers enjoy having the Nacras around because they enjoy having fun with them. What's the big deal? They're fun and expanding our friendship ties. How can we possibly go back to our friends and tell them we don't want them at our races anymore because somewhere along the line, they decided to take a different path. They already know they're different, but they are involved of all of our Fleet functions. Can Hobie send a rep out to take their place on a committee or crash boat? Can they help us clean the beach? Can they sit on the beach at night with us, swap stories and advice, and have a few beers? Can we count on Hobie to be there if we have a storm problem?

Sincerely,

Wyatt