Good question and topic Phill.

Reading the comments and input I see some really good remarks. I like what Timbo is writing.

One of my favorite’s examples of how not to do it, is the one of the Windsurfing industry, which goes as follows:

In the late 70’s and early 80’s windsurfing was really hot <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />. Around here (I grew up in Zandvoort, the Netherlands about 500 meters from the beach and had the opportunity to learn cat sailing and windsurfing age 10 <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />)on a good windsurfing day you would see about 100 to 150 windsurfers going wild on the North sea. This little village even facilitated the windsurfing Pro’s tournament once a year for quite some years in a row. I am talking about the good old days with guys like Pete Cabrina and Robby Naish.

In that same period everybody who wanted to surf could buy/ rent a (cheap) board and sail, take some lessons and just go out and do their thing. Age and budget did not matter! In the Netherlands we had tens of thousand of windsurfers

Than the designers and manufacturers made a horrible mistake to concentrate on the top level of windsurfers only. Within just a couple of years it was close to impossible to buy/ rent a decent starters board and sail. This sport managed to whipe out the complete starters and lower segment of the market. By the end of the 80’s and early 90’s windsurfers became a rare species, and this was before kite surfing became popular.

Bottom line is that even for a high performance class like the F16 one should not forget to facilitate newcomers (for the F16 class and cat sailing in general). This should not prevent the class from any developments and evolution but one should consider that only a small number of people will be able to keep up the pace if developments go to fast.

Regards,

Frank
Blade NED 013