Keith,



You make a good point about the emphasis on cats being almost exclusively focused on racing. The nature of the boats (they're so fast) seems to drive that emphasis, but, as you said, there's a lot more.



I think if we all did a little personal reflection, we'd gain some valuable insight about what "works". For me, it was a beater Hobie 16, purchased for $300. The purchase included Phil Berman's 1982 book, "Catamaran Sailing." I didn't have a clue when I first began sorting out the rigging and sheets, but I read the book, sailed a lot, read the book some more, sailed a lot, etc.



Phil's book was well illustrated, included lots of photos of the range of cats available at the time, yet only two of the fifteen chapters were on racing.



For me, just beginning with cats, the racing chapters were left unread. I was just having a blast flying a hull back and forth across the bay, practicing boat handling and getting a feel for the "dance".



Now that I've hooked up with a laid back bunch of dead boat sailors here in the land of Ben & Jerry's, Phish, and "Jeesum Jim" Jeffords, I've been introduced to racing. If it weren't for the welcoming, encouraging nature of the folks I sail with, however, I'd probably still be on the sidelines.



We do a lot more than just the Wednesday nights around the buoys, though. This summer we'll be cruising to the best beaches for picnics. We have a night planned where we'll all take out the boats for some time on the side - capsizing and recovery. We'll run through our favorite drills from Rick's book. There'll be events focused on food and socializing, too.



Now, I'm certain that these are the types of things that are going on in pockets throughout the country, but, as you said, we just don't emphasize them enough.



(Of course, my wife would argue that I never go out on the boat for a relaxing sail. It's always sheeted hard and there's not much for idle conversation. We focus on making the boat go fast, even if we're headed to the beach with the kids and the dog on the tramp. )