Hi, Matt,
I would guess that Pitchpole Dave is referring to the Hobie Class as the "other" group. I don't think there should be an "other." I think we should all be separate but united, if that makes sense.

As I have editorialized in Catamaran Sailor, I think the new Hobie policy is actually a good thing that will benefit the fleets and the sport by giving the fleets more flexibility in planning their events. I seem to be kind of alone in my opinion.

As I think I explained in posts above in this thread, if somebody wants the magazine but does not want to be a member of NAMSA, they can just say so when they send in their renewal.

I deliberately did not give people a check-off option for this first year, because I wanted to give people a trial year, so to speak, of membership in NAMSA and a chance to vote on the policies it is proposing during its start-up. I don't know why somebody would not want to have a voice in establishing this new organization, especially when it is basically free to them.

I have been very candid about the fact that NAMSA needs some funding in order to be able to implement any of its ideas and plans. So my plan provides some funding for NAMSA and also provides a vote to everybody who becomes a member.

Next year there WILL be a check-off box for whether you want to be a member of NAMSA or not. No difference in price for the magazine, so if people check "No," it will mean that NAMSA has not been doing a good enough job for them to want their $5 to go to NAMSA instead of to me.

The "marketing" of NAMSA is up to NAMSA, not to me. I'm just trying to give the organization a jump-start.

I strongly believe that we need a national multihull organization, as other countries have, to link together all the multihull classes and all the multihull associations, clubs and organizations. I also think that the Hobie Class Association should be a part of this national group, so we can all work together, protecting the interests of each individual organization but working together for the common interests of multihulls within our national governing body, US Sailing.

Maybe it is just a stupid dream of mine.

If NAMSA does not follow through with some of its promises and plans this first year, I will be the first to dump them, and I will continue putting out my magazine, and they will be on their own.

P.S.
You said something about people not having a choice about whether they are going to be a member of NAMSA if they subscribe to the magazine. I would also suggest that the members of the Hobie Class Association do not have any choice about the fact that their organization is subsidized by and partly controlled by the Hobie Cat Company. Again, this is a matter of needing funds to implement programs and pay for the HCA newsletter.