I just returned from a second visit to Hawaii in the last few months. I spent a lot of time in and around the water and various beaches. I saw very few sailboats. In fact, on Oahu I only saw a couple tourist catamarans in Waikiki and three kiteboarders in Kailua. Where has all the sailing gone? I remember 20 years ago seeing tons of beach cats in Waikiki and tons of windsurfers by Diamond Head. Not one now.

There is an active catamaran fleet with about 70 boats on the windward side of Oahu. We recently had a big feature on them in "Catamaran Sailor" magazine. Go to the forum, Hawaii Hobie Cat Association, in our "Main Index" of forums. They don't post on there often, but there is a very recent post by ChrisMargaret. If you click on the username, you can get Chris Laletin's e-mail address, and he will tell you what is going on in Hawaii.

And check out the attachment picture from one of their recent events. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I don't know but I'm just guessing that maybe, like in Florida, with the building boom of the past 10 years most of the public beach storage and access areas have been sold, developed and put off limits to the average cat sailor? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

At least two Oahu teams are coming over to the mainland for the 20 NAC's in South Dakota first week of June.

I've been to Kauai the last three summers, and I've seen several cats on the beach in Hanalei Bay and in front of Duke's at Nawiliwili, but none on the water. Bigger boats, yes, and kite sailors; but not beachcats or day-sailors. By the way, does anyone know the story on the giant trimaran in Nawiliwili Harbor? You can even see it on Google Earth.

I don't know that this holds true with regards to boat sailing, but of the Hawaiian islands, Maui is the spot for windsurfing and kite boarding. Particularly the North Shore.

sm

When I was there in 98 or 99 I had heard that it was to be entered in the RACE, but the fellow who owned it lost funding or it was just not going to be feasible to finish (building or the race).

Jon

Holy Crap! That thing is big. 100ft according to the measuring tool in Google Earth.

Ssshhttt, thats the new Alingi tri. Dont anyone else ok? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

It'll be used to ram the Superferry if it ever tries to return to Kauai.