You've jarred my memory as to another aspect of my entrance into the sport.
<br>
<br>When I bought that $500 1975 Hobie 16, I had a blast that first summer, but thought, gee it really stinks to have to trailer this, set it up, and tear it down every time. That mast is really big, I thought! So I started asking around to find a place to keep it rigged.
<br>
<br>That started with calling people who rented out dock space. "You want how much????, That's more than the boat cost!!" So, that didn't last long. Then I finally happened upon my local dealer, and he handed me a brochure for the Bald Eagle Yacht Club aka Hobie Fleet 52. He explained to me that this yacht club had no club house, membership dues of $50 at the time, and that they would find me a place to keep my boat.
<br>
<br>"And how much does that cost," I asked.
<br>"Nothing," he replied
<br>"Nothing?" I asked, "What do you mean, nothing?"
<br>"You just have to show up for at least half the races to stay in the good graces of the property owners," he replied.
<br>
<br>So, to make a long story short, that's how I got hooked on "recreational racing." It's a blast, we have fun, and don't take ourselves too seriously (except every now and then!). That's another thing that falls under the "what can I do" category. The philosophy of our fleet is that it's all about the people, not about clubhouses or facilities. The other part of it is that people who are members of the fleet, and own property on the lake, feel that the only way they're going to get good participation is to give people a spot to put their boat. When I first heard about racing fleets, I thought, what would I want to have to do with a bunch of racers? I'm a novice, and I don't know anything! The incentive was a place to keep the boat! Turned out to be one of the best groups of people I've ever become involved with.
<br>
<br>If you own property on water, think of this as yet another thing that you can do. As a non property owner, I try to be "Johnny on the spot" when it comes to helping my host put his dock in, take it out, and help with whatever else I can. I think it's a pretty generous thing for him and the other property owners to do, and hopefully I will be able to return the favor some day.
<br>
<br>Anyway, the point is, we've got to get people involved in recreational racing for the survival of the sport. I know that I've had just as much fun (err, almost) off the water as on the water with friends in the sport.
<br>
<br>Fair winds,
<br>
<br>Tim J.<br><br>Hobie 20 #541
<br>Bald Eagle Yacht Club, Fleet 52
<br>White Bear Lake, MN