he ISAF message about Olympic classes affects other High Performance sailing classes in addition to the catamran classes.

I just returned from my region’s Junior Sailing Organizational meeting. 30 individuals representing their clubs, and other organizations were committed to making a full program of Opti, Laser and 420 racing PLUS a 3 boat junior big boat racing program happen. I am impressed by their ongoing commitment to keeping a junior sailing program going.

A huge AHA for me was the support for High School Varsity Sailing . Amazingly, we have local High schools with 35 kids on the sailing team (JV and Varsity)..

My goal was to develop a high performance program with Annapolis Yacht Club and their potentially new 29ner fleet. They think it’s a great idea but can’t commit to anything right now… Why?? Turns out they are having second thoughts about pushing the high performance ball. The lack of interest in a women’s high performance dinghy and the difficulty of even a deep pocket club with a fantastic facility to make this happen over the next few years is causing them to rethink.

Our type of sailing was called elitist… by the people trying to make it work! The word elite was used in the positive sense… eg… the best sailors are the ones going into 29ners and cats.

Wow… this is a challenge!

And the next thing happening is that "high performance sailing" is something nobody will do becouse it is too hard.. Boy are ISAF Council and multi haters going to have a field day with that gem <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Just like the H16 and SL16 swapping every few years, it seems that the 420 will replace the 29er for the next Youth Worlds !

I wish my HS had a sailing team! But I agree with what Rolf said. Perhaps the mono sailors are not interested in catamaran sailing because it involves the more technical aspect of the sport. I know that when I learned to sail on a mono, it was always an easy to transport, easy to rig, easy to sail boat. (sunfish) This is probably why this boat is one of the most popular in the world. For this reason, I fully support all the work that the F12 guys are putting into developing that boat. Without simplicity, you lose 80% of your sailing crowd. People who are used to hopping on a boat and going are not going to want to learn all the skills and techniques involved with cat sailing. Perhaps I am wrong, but I support developing a simple cat, and once you get kids hooked on that, move them up to an A, or F16, F18, Tornado. ISAF will see that the catamaran community is sincerely putting forth an effort to change the decision by taking action, and this could sway them to change the decision.

$0.02

Sadly, the F12 project has been pulled apart by its "members". Everybody decided that they knew best themselves and went their own way and refused to cooperate with others to form a uniform class the world over.

This very mechanism has caused the F12 project to collapse a second time. First in Januari 2007 and now again in December 2007. It is uncertain whether there will be a 3rd try.

Wouter

too many cooks spoil the stew

at a certain point it is impossible^ to please^ everyone
and at some stage those that are going to make the^ boats have^ to stop the^ talking, start the^ walking and make^ boats that work for them

even if the^

Well it is quite a disappointment to hear that. But perhaps, now that they have gone their separate ways, one will be able to spend the necessary time and effort to kick-start the project again. I think that if a prototype were to be built and discussed and actually sailed, more people would provide their input.

Thats a pretty strong statement Wouter. F12 cats are happening now they're not anyones exact vision but theyre a compromise and at last count around 20 were in the prepare to build stage or already started. Not bad for prototype boats. Just as boats were going to be built the length was changed then Christmas has come around, the forum is quiet because were busy, wait for the photos to be posted once building commences Vinny
regards

What in the hell are talking about, do you mean your F12 has collapsed?

Fair Dinkum Wouter you do yourself no favours, with BS you dish out.

F12's are being built around the world, very section of the forum is quiet, its that time of year, holidays, titles(over here anyway).

Get the facts straight.

See, the very same guys can't even agree on whether the F12 project is still alive or dead.

Wouter

Here we go.. Todays Scuttlebutt was asking why there is to be a cat in the ISAF youth worlds now that there is no multihull in the games.

Ref: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2008/01/lack-of-plan.html

Sounds like the 'X' games should be the new point of aim. Why not? Great youth support, great venues... probably becoming more popular then the olympics; and if you want to make it exciting... make the circuit a figure eight or something.....

Oh well.... it was just fun thinking....