David,



I'm going to address this directly to you. I have been sailing for 35 years, sailing cats for the last 19 years. I have competed in just about every cat out there Hobie, Tornado, Nacra, Inter, Supercat -- etc. etc. etc. Also, competed in the J22 and J24 classes. Won nationals on both J22's and 24's as foredeck on both boats. So I would say that I have been around abit. Also, I have sailed in every division that Hobie has. To be direct here David, I'm talking from personal experience.



I have been welcomed with open arms at every Hobie regatta that I showed up to sail in on my H20. When we showed up with the I20 it just was not the case. This after sailing the H20 at the same regattas for three years!!



David, here I go over your list of "agreements"











DN: Thanks for making that clear; from your earlier posts I was unsure. At least we can put to bed a few issues that have been argued here.

1. NAHCA is not the same as HCUSA.

2. NAHCA and HCUSA can promote one design racing (I assume you mean Hobies). Thanks, I know they will be relieved to have your blessing.



David, Don't be a smart butt. I have paid my NAHCA dues for fifteen years. You better believe that I have the RIGHT to cry foul here! I like a majority of NAHCA members do not feel that we have been adequately represented most of the time but, just didn't say much because it took too much effort.



You said: "What I have said loud and clear is that NAHCA does not have the right to exclude people or suggest that "its" fleets do"



DN: So we get to the heart of your discontent? That NAHCA (possibly under the encouragement of HCUSA?) wants to take the outrageous step of making a "suggestion" to the fleets in its organization! Wow, the gall! How could they be so presumptious? As a Hobie fleet commodore, I and the fleet members take the suggestion to be just that, a suggestion.



David, How long have you been a fleet commodore?? You say that you are new to catsailing. If everything is so right with NAHCA and the fleets why aren't older members vying for the commodore's slot? As for "suggestions" Hobie has been making them for years and at every turn they where set for the betterment of HCUSA not catsailing and at a few times the direct detriment of NACHA. If you doubt me call Rick White and ask him he sailed cats for longer than anyone else that I know of.



You said: "We need to have alittle vision here, choke down the medicine and try to get healthy."



DN: You said it. I don't know quite what you mean about choking down the medicine, although I'm sure you know exactly what medicine will be good for the rest of us. But we do need a little vision. I propose that an expression of vision would allow one to go beyond attack and fault finding, opening or re-opening wounds in the cat sailing body, to an expression of the future and how it will be better and how we will get there; with an understanding that there are some things we don't control such as demographics and competition for people's time. Let me be so presumptious as to offer a few starting points for those who want to exercise some form vision.



1. We accept the fact that the Hobie Cat company did much to build the sport in its early days.



@@ yes they did



2. We accept the fact that along with their success, they developed an extremely successful one design organization (NAHCA) on a continent-wide level with a corresponding system of organized racing for Hobie one-design catamarans.



@@ David your living a provencial mindset -- alot of fleets are mostly X boats now. If you live int he midwest than its probably different.



3. This system has made them in the eyes of many the 800 or 1000 lb. gorilla in the cat community.



@@ No its the suggestion that HCUSA made about ten years ago that told hobie fleets to not allow any other manufacturers boats to sail at any regatta. OH!! You don't remember that?? Well' PAL I do and It pissed me off then and it still does now. BTW. They did it for a year and then most fleets saw the light of day and reversed their course. You see most people just want to have fun, sailing with more boats is fun. No matter if its onedesign or Portsmith.



4. Most cat sailors have benefited from this competition organization.

@@ Yes as I have.



5. It is the dependence, to some extent, on this structure that has non-Hobie owners concerned with NAHCA's pronouncements regarding the open fleet. (If this were a small, insignificant racing organization, who would be making such a fuss?).

@@ David, get a grip here. How about coming over see how other fleets do it -- you know CRAM, CRAW, CABB. You'd find out that more is better.



6. We accept the fact that NAHCA should operate first and formost in the interests of Hobie cat owners to support and build Hobie racing fleets; as should other manufacturers.



@@ Wrong David we do not accept this. Sailors should build sailing fleets not loyalty to boat builders. If your boat is the best for you than sail it. If it is not than sail something else. That is the basic rights we all have. For NACHA to suggest otherwise is BS.



7. We accept that the economic reality in these times is that many Hobie fleets need to include the open class in their regattas.

@@ You betcha! Then why in the Hell is this so difficult. We need to build fleets irregardless of design or builder.



8. We recognize that in many parts of the country this is being done and everyone benefits.

@@ David, How many X boat owners do you have in your fleet? Do they have an equal voice? If so then are you still a Hobie fleet? Why could you not be a NAMSA fleet with multiple class affiliations? Or is the "H" word to hard to erase.



9. We recognize that the suggestions from NAHCA are just that and fleets will have to make up their own minds about the open class. All fleets will act in a way they (the members) perceive to be in their best interests as they have money on the line when they put on a regatta.



@@ Ok David what happens when someone elses money is on the line??



10. We accpet the legitimacy of one-design, whether it is a Lightning regatta, a Hobie regatta, the Performance Nationals, a Tornado regatta, and that one-design interests can co-exist along with open class-portsmouth racing.

@@ David, look at this again. Is it one design or a one design regatta? One designs can race at the same regatta that portsmith boats race at. If you state differently then we disagree. Its all in the scoring. With more people around you have more people to help make a regatta happen.



11. And lastly, if there is a significant need for a national umbrella organization to represent catamaran sailing interests, such as promoting the sport in general, gaining better access to the water, improving our PR with yacht clubs, improving our standing in US Sailing, organizing open class regattas outside of the Hobie racing structure, then we should look to an organization other than a one-design group or a manufacture to pursue these goals. We would expect each manufacturer and one-design organization to lend support to such an organization.



@@ David this is exactly what I have been saying. I'm not trying to strip Hobie one design racing. I am trying to open up ALL regattas to ALL boats. As I have said before it is all in the scoring!!!



david I am glad that you are active in building your fleet. Pat yourself on the back, its a hard job and we all need to do it. But, we need to do it as a group. Not as sectional divisions.

As I stated before. Unless someone makes waves nothing gets fixed. If I have to be the bad guy to make a positive change. Then I will. I want my kids (7 and on the way) to enjoy this sport. If that happens then I could care less who thinks I'm an [censored].



Steve