As you guys have pointed out, there is some resistance from the dealers to showing boats. Last year, the Chicago area dealer brought a Hobie Getaway. That is the product they felt they were most likely going to see interest/sales in. Well, we brought the Tiger...the boat that drew the crowd. Hobie sailors from the past couldn't believe that the Tiger was a Hobie. "This is not your father's Hobie!"

As a not-for-profit organization, we are able to obtain booth space at a significantly reduced rate. Since we are promoting fleet sailing, and not "selling" a product, it allows us to be there. With our space just yards away from the dealer, we can say that we sold some boats for him last year. Boats he may not have sold without us there.

You can bang your head against the wall all day. Dealers have made their choices for these boat shows based on past history...including the amount of effort they want to put into them. There were no other legitimate cats to be seen at the show last year. Mostly day sailors and larger.

If it weren't such a great time to just get together with sailors in the area, and share the excitement of cat sailing with people that walk up, we wouldn't all take time off work, or give up our weekends to do it. It is truly a lot of fun.

Jeff