Kip, Don't insult my intelligence. I have read your posts and did not attack you personally in those areas. my comments were perhaps too broad stroke. Directly, I do not condone NAHCA's stance or "suggestion". If it is not your stance then relax and look at from the outside.



I have always supported someones right to choose. This is one of the reasons I support a Formula concept. If you choose to race a H16 one design then fine -- go for it. It is right for NAHCA to say that you can't race against other 16 foot designs? No its wrong. When you look at the infrastructure in this country -- you can see that in a large portion of the midwest you can not race unless you race at a "Hobie" regatta. In south Florida, alot of the "Hobie Fleets" don't even have any hobies in them. Yet on the books they are still "Hobie" fleets.



You are the only person responsible for your actions. NAMSA is proposed to be a voice for catamaran sailors, not one design classes. Is Art doing a great job, yes he is. But, he needs help even inside USSAILING! If NAMSA was an umbrella organization then USSA MHC would have some teeth due to the solidarity of catsailors. Then Art and MHC would have some pull inside USSA. Most of USSA thinks cats are something thats "unsavory". This is a poor opinion of us all. Part of this is due to the contuning fighting between HOBIE and PC corporate. Hobie brings NAHCA into this by trying to enforce this "one design at risk" argument.



Hobie and NAHCA have done alot of good. I'm not going to say they haven't but, when something or someone says to do something that is not right -- it is not our role to just follow blindly.



I have never understood why a company feels it can control its market the way Hobie uses NAHCA.



As for supplying boats for nationals, international and regional events. That is a clearly defined marketing program that is in place to sell boats. And they sell everyone of them after the regatta. Simple supply and demand. Build inventory -- display it and sell it at a perceived value. Thats business 101.



I don't hate Hobie -- I think they build a great production product. I feel my H20 is a better built boat than the 6.0NA and I like the racing of it. Is it the fastest? NO. Is it the best design? NO. But, in all I have liked every Hobie 20 sailor that I have ever met. Could I say the same thing if I had sailed an I20? I honestly couldn't tell you due to the "I'd rather sail the box my hobie came in than a nacra" mentality that is previlant in many fleets.



What we as sailors need to do is work inside NAHCA to show them the error of this "suggestion" and then join NAMSA to help promote catsailing to the rest of the world. Niether, NAHCA or USSA MHC says it is thier job to do so. If it is not thier job than it is ours (catsailors) to do so -- conjointly.



Steve