Alright I will explain myself




Nope ! JUST the OD classes (actually SMOD) that have remained the same all those years. How many of us sailors really want to sail with 70's block and sheet systems and 70's design sails, TODAY ! I'm sure it is all well and good in the retro department but I rather have the feel of a 00's Harken block and sheet systems and the control of a 00's mainsail design. Never mind paying 00's dollars for 70's technology.

Come to think of it the vast majority of the Tiger sailors want this as well as expressed in the newest Hobie News Letter. So I guess I'm in good company here.





You think Colby, Booth, Dercksen, Ashby, Mourniac, Loos, Bundock and Camenish are anything other then Open class / Formula sailors ? (all under contract by Hobie corp to make a splash in open class racing, talking about buying a win and talking about being SMOD sailors)

Each one of these sailors puts in more mileage in open class / formula events than SMOD events. Booth, Bundock and Dercksen are Tornado and F18 sailors before anything else they are paid to do. Ashby, Mourniac and Loos are as open class/formula as you can get. Their first loves are A-cats and F18's (TRUE F18 not Tiger class). I think only Colby has raced in any serious manner in a SMOD class (being H16) over the last 10 years. I think Booth hopped on a H16 once in his spare time in 2003. Or was that Taylor Booth, his son.

Matt, just a rought guess. How many of all on Hobies payroll would voluntarily choose to own/race in a SMOD class ?

(My guess : Only Colby and only as a side issue.)


Nor is is a mean statement. It is a truthful one, an actual fact. We get in wholely difficult world when truthful is also taken as being mean.

It is also based on cold hard race data. Take it from a guy who has looked at race data in every way for 3 years while working on the Texel committee and the new NMBR system. There is no significant correlation that SMOD is much more fair than Formula racing or OD racing. NON SMOD sailor generally accept the conclusion when shown the data; SMOD never do because, I quote, they BELIEVE SMOD to be more fair just the same. It is a gut feeling they have. They can never produce data to support their believe. This I call ignorant. Believing something against cold hard data as taken from the REAL world, not some IDEALIZED "could be" world





And what do you think is my case ?

Does it hurt open class sailing when I say that most SMOD arguments to highlight their own perceived superiority are wrong and not supported by facts ?

Will pointing out that no Hobie Tiger in the F18 events is OD Tiger compliant hurt open class and formula sailing ?

Will it hurt cat sailing in general when pointing out what is supported by facts and what isn't ?

Will pointing out that in all European SMOD events except for D18 and H16 participation is dreadfully small hurt the the larger catamaran racing scene and potential buyers ?

Will calling SMOD sailors "ignorant" when it is beyond obvious that F18 events attract at least 3 times the number of participating boats hurt the general concensus or the enjoyement of the majority of sailors ?

Does saying to a SMOD Tiger sailor that he needs to learn to sail better if he wants to place higher in the F18 scorings hurt the strive to become better sailors ?

Last I met a Tiger sailor who didn't know what the F18 class was , but he did thought it a pitty that having the F18 class would split up the catamaran scene ! I mean "DUHH! who has split the F18 fleet here, the F18 class or the Hobie corp by creating a SMOD tiger class." It doesn't come any better than that. That is what I call ignorant !

Wouter