How does the Hobie Alter family or the Hobiecat corporation feel about an annual race, carrying the family name, that uses boats built by competitors?
And the flip sides are: How do participants feel about it who sail non-Hobies? And how do other manufacturers of boats feel about it when they provide boats for the event when the trophy is advertising a competing manufacturer?
When the Alter Cup was first designed and named 20 years ago, most (all?) of the people on the Multihull Council were Hobie sailors. So maybe that explains it.
Rick and I were Hobie sailors, too, at that time. But I was shocked when they named the trophy for Hobie Alter. Not that he is not deserving of honor and accolades for his amazing contribution to the multihull world. It is just that I did not (and still do not) think the United States Multihull Sailing Championship was(is) the appropriate venue.
