I am on my 4th catamaran in the course of about 20 years. TheMightyHobie18, H21SE, H20 and now the ARC21. I have seen myself change from a pleasure sailor that raced occasionally to a racer that rarely sails for pleasure. Maybe it is just the fact that I am growing older but I can tell you that the beach scene in Miami is nothing like what it used to be. We used to have 5 - 10 boats on the beach every weekend and no racing, it was screwing around in Biscayne Bay, hull flying contests, BBQ's and family. Now we get 5 - 15 boats once a month for the races and nothing in between. We show up, execute the race and then pack it up and go home. It seems that we have gotten away from the "Hobie" way of life in South Florida. Too much emphasis on racing. As I sit here, I realize that although I do enjoy racing, I enjoy participation and the social aspect of cat sailing more than the competition. Anyway. I think I will try to find a small cat for my 17 year old and teach him and his girlfreind how to sail for pleasure.
