I craved going out on my old crusty 5.2 each time I watched those foiling 72-footers. It's not about getting them out to buy foiling boats, it's about getting them off the iPads and Gameboys and on the water in a boat that doesn't require a trip to the gas station.
Yes, but it's not working, and for understandable reasons. iPads and Gameboys are designed with an interesting eye on the psychology of reinforcement and other insights into what makes people want to play. They offer an easy entry level and lots of other levels to conquer and get a feeling of accomplishment. The games can require a lot of commitment, but it's commitment to playing and with lots of rewards along the way, not commitment to earning $25,000 to buy a boat, two hours to rig it, a few hours of maintenance, and a lot of frustration and fear while learning to sail at high speeds.
There have been two major studies involving professional surveys asking people why they don't sail. It's because they feel it's scary, complicated and elitist, not because they feel its boring. Watching boats that even the pros call scary and complicated is not going to attract many people.
