Matt M
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<br>Thanks for the vote of confidence. I can assure you that I am not in your words "F####d". But, I can tell you that your attitude is what is persuavily wrong with this sport. You like most others want to dig out your nitch and defend it until the last person stands. We have found out in history and right now in Afganistan that this mentality is wrong, abusive and will not work.
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<br>I believe that open formats encourage new sailors from other boat types (read here every flippin other wind powered device on the planet) to come and participate. If sponsor dollars encourage people to come and try then great. If sponsor dollars come down in the form of CASH PAYMENTS for race winners. THen all the better. I have never heard anyone complain about the purity of the sport after someone hands them some money.
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<br>We as cat sailors need to take a look around and figure out how to bring in some new blood. If it takes sponsors and a semi-pro event structure with media coverage than thats what we have to do. Do you think that Mike Worrell has problems getting TV because there are so few of us catsailors. WRONG!!!!!!! If you do believe that than your "F####D!!" yourself. He has a problem because the race is not seen as marketable because big sponsor dollars are not there and it is considered only "human interest". If a company dumped a few 100K into the Worrell then it would get some airplay. Facts are facts. You only have to look at Nascar's history to show its true. They raced for years and until the big boys came with their check books it was small time. Once the corporations got envolved the CEO's of the media companies got calls from their CEO buddies from the companies that sponsored and said "Hey, ED send one of your boys down to watch what these guys are doing down there in Daytona". ANd if you don't think that's what happened then, Virginia just go to bed because Santa will be here shortly. In business it is not what you know it who you know.
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<br>My HTCW.
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<br>Steve<br><br>