Thanks Wouter, I think? Great response.
Mate you have an uncanny insight into promotion, such that I suspect you probably have special skills in that area.

There's no doubt that my 14ft project was a 'heart' thing and not a 'head' thing. I wish I had spoken to someone like you prior to starting the venture, though I probably would have gone ahead and done it anyway. I had raced 14's for years with considerable success and had the idea that given they were already a popular class here in Oz, it seemed logical (to me) that a nice new high tech boat would be a welcome advance and a necessary injection of enthusiasm to further development of the class but in reality the guys and gals were all quite happy sailing 50's and 60's technology, as they still are. I had mistakenly assessed the cat sailor. I had the impression that like his mono counterpart he would welcome the opportunity to put his son/daughter on a decent boat, at a regatta where 14ftrs were given the credibility of a separate course racing a hyped GP series (banners, 'T' shirts, some decent prize money etc. etc). I was wrong. Most of them are having sufficient difficulty maintaining their own campaign to be much concerned. Sad but true though considering the cost I should not have been surprised, but again, I reasoned that the mono dad sees no problem putting his offspring on a Bethwaite 29'R which are not cheap, however there are also lots of kids sailing Lasers and the like so it's really a question of numbers I guess.

Yep it seems that it's a shirtload of work, more than I have the capacity for I'm sad to say. I took two years off work and spent squillians to build, campaign and promote the boat. I would have been gee'd by any sincere interest at all in any department but alas everyone I met showed a distinct disinterest and in some cases people were demonstrably hostile toward the boat/concept. I guess it threatened the status Quo in some circles. Mostly, I was totally blown away by the ambivalence. I needed help, I couldn't do it all on my own but alas, none was forthcoming.
Anyway it's all history now and I'm resigned to the fact that I have done the best I'm capable of or interested in doing frankly and the thought of battling with those same people over production schedules, defects, delivery dates, etc etc., does little for my sense of calm which I've developed in my 'tender' years .

I still get great satisfaction winning the club championship and wupping all other 14's, most 15's and some 16's. Sailing a 14ft performance cat off the wire amongst a fleet of cats & monos is something to be experienced and I get to do it every Satdy.

I do hope F14 gets going, I'm not sure exactly why but it probably goes to credibility for me maybe. Certainly it would mean more competition which is always good. I am concerned however that notwithstanding the experience I have had, there are two more 14ft boats being built/designed here in Australia which will further fragment an already somewhat tragic over supply situation so I don't see things getting any better for manufacturers here in the near future. Oh well!
Bern