David,

I understand your reasons fully, Even I like One-design racing. That is not it.

The thing that gets me everytime that the paradox that if so many people prefer and enjoy OD racing then why are all OD classes dead ? In my area only the H16 and Dart 18 are holding on to some OD class but losing ground just the same. All those N5.2, N5.5, N6.0, H17, TheMightyHobie18, P16, P18, P18-2, P19, etc fleets are completely gone.

The biggest example I can refer to is the Tornado class. Over 2/3rds of the members voted against the upgraded Tornado; this would make for a solid base to continue the (classic) Tornado class for years. However; 18 months later the classic Tornado was all but dead and the few break-away sailors gethered a whole new class around them that would dominate once more.

I've seen it happen to all the fleets. Majority of class members votes against ANY changes whatsever. But when the small active core of volunteers leave because THEY want some changes than that whole majority collapses as if they never really existed. Most of them you can find again in the new class, after a few months of being sour, and then it starts all over again. Most of them just don't have a spine, want to have others do the work and resist any change because they can. Never, ever, does it occure to them that they can keep their class if they put some effort in themselfs.

I wish it was different.

Wouter