The NAF18 holds regattas, regional championships and an NA Championship without factory support.....Hobie Corp. and Performance could go out of business tomorrow and there would be NA's next year.
The latter part of your comment has some truth to it, but
both Hobie and Performance support NAF18 events either monetarily or by donating generous trophies, or give-a-ways.
I don't think manufacturers should be expected to send a crew of volunteers to help run the events. That's just silly.
NAF18 events have not gained enough popularity to justify a manufacturer supplying boats for North American events, however, I'd like to see this happen in the very near future.
Now, as for the HCA, speaking for myself only, I have never been offered support or seen support from the class towards running an event. Keeping in mind, I have never been involved with a Nationals, I am only speaking of our weekend regattas, which in my opinion serve as the back bone for class racing.
If the weekend events stopped happening, there would be very little new blood, less communication through word of mouth of the sailors and less people on boats just sailing. Even if a regatta only attracts ten or so boats, it is still that activity on the beach or lake that generates curiosity and excitement from people who are wondering what is going, or reminisce about when they used to sail a cat and how much fun it was. Often they think about getting back into sailing.
Why, because they see it happening right in front of them. Take this away, and it becomes non-existent.
My point is, weekend regattas no matter how rinky-dinky they seem are more important to catamaran racing in general then some people think.
Holding a Nationals or Worlds every year is great, but it is really the icing on a cake that has gone flat.
Maybe I am being to harsh. I know there are people in the HCA that will bend over backwards to help out but they can't be everywhere at any given time. People get burned out very quickly while serving this sport.
Sam, you know very well that in Division 9 everything we have, all our regatta equipment,our website, our newsletter, the 10 + events we hold each year, (most by fleets that literally have a few very dedicated people planning and running these events) have all come about through the efforts of the sailors in the division wanting to make the area which we race in better.
And we've succeeded. heck, as far as I am concerned we are our own class association.
We should probablly re-open this matter for discussion at CatFest.
Tracie
PS. Flat cake every weekend 'aint so bad.
