Iteresting Read...

http://www.sailinganarchy.com/general/2004/2004_od_survey.htm

The survey raises a lot more questions than it answers. But I guess that is good.

One thing it seems to indicate for sure is that most one-design racing is in the eastern half of the United States.

Performance Catamarans and Hobie Cat Company should move to Georgia. Performance sends most of its boats to Europe, and Hobie Cat Company sends most of its sailboats to offshore islands. It would save on shipping to both domestic and international markets if they moved east.

I'm sure they will take this advice to heart.

That's probably more a function of population density than sailing activity.



(larger image attached)

Right, so doesn't it make sense to build your products as close as possible to the greatest number of potential customers?

Actually you want to build boats where the air is dry and warm most of the time and there is no need for a climate controlled laminate room. You also want to be near the raw materials manufacturers so that inbound freight doesn't kill your bottom line:

Why they are based in California

Resins: Distributor in Los Angeles
Gelcoat: Distributor in Los Angeles
Aluminum: Extruder and foundry right here
Machine shops: Thousand of them for defense industry
Cordage: Yale distributor is right down the street
Coregated packaging: Manufacturer is here in LA
Foam core: Distributor is here in Los Angeles
Technical: Morrelli and Melvin are just a few minutes away
Parent company : For Perfromance having Catalina Yachts up the street is more cost effective and offers a better level of control.
Sailmakers: Ullman sails and Elliot Pattison are just minutes away from Perfromance which is helpful for battens and sails.

Freight: Los Angeles is the least expensive port in the US (Long Beach also) to ship to Europe. (Yes, even less expensive than East coast ports.

That is why Hobie and Perfromance remain here in California. That and the owners and managers prefer to live here. :-)

You're probably right, Mark. We don't have much in the way of products and services here in the East.

I'll assume the comment is meant with a sarcastic twist. (Maybe not but it's been the pattern) that being said:

You are correct that the extrusions, sailmakers, cordage manufacturers and dry conditions are not available in one location anywhere else in the US except Southern California.

You could change all of the above but then you would lose your one design aspect and I think that is very important to the people who race these.

Of course, I was being sarcastic. But boat manufacturers, like any business, change suppliers as pricing dictates. Changing suppliers does not affect one-design status if the products meet the same specs. If they could get lower prices for all these things on the East Coast, maybe they could afford to get fans or air conditioning to dry out the air in the shop.

Like most other successful businesses, I am sure that the good people at Hobie Cat have figured all this out on their own.

"Success" is a relative term, and no company knows that better than Hobie Cat.

I'm sure they have figured it out...that's why catamaran sailing has seen such a huge decline? That's why the new breed of performance oriented Hobies are coming from Europe? Seriously though, no business is perfect - who's to say that having an operation on the east coast couldn't help their business? At the very least, it's an interesting point worthy of discussion. There is some logic to it.

With regards to Mark's post:

Resins: Distributor in Los Angeles Plenty here in Atlanta, GA
Gelcoat: Distributor in Los Angeles no direct knowledge but surely they're here too
Aluminum: Extruder and foundry right here these are very common throughout the US
Machine shops: Thousand of them for defense industry very, very common
Cordage: Yale distributor is right down the street bonus
Coregated packaging: Manufacturer is here in LA dime-a-dozen operation.
Foam core: Distributor is here in Los Angeles distributors country-wide
Technical: Morrelli and Melvin are just a few minutes away what physical products do they provide?
Parent company : For Perfromance having Catalina Yachts up the street is more cost effective and offers a better level of control. bonus
Sailmakers: Ullman sails and Elliot Pattison are just minutes away from Perfromance which is helpful for battens and sails. bonus

There are other boat manufacturers that have figured out how to find materials on the East Coast. However, the shipping to Europe is an important one. While I find it strange that shipping costs to Europe are cheaper from the Western US coast, I seem to remember hearing something like that some time ago. We do have very major ports over here too however.

Hatteras yachts has figured out how to make a quality boat on the east coast. Not to mention the numerous shipyards in New England.

Beneteau has a large production facility in Marion, SC.

Resins: Distributor in Los Angeles Plenty here in Atlanta, GA and Miami, St.Pete, Jacksonville, New England and on and on.
Gelcoat: Distributor in Los Angeles no direct knowledge but surely they're here too There are gelcoat distributors everywhere.
Aluminum: Extruder and foundry right here these are very common throughout the US exactly
Machine shops: Thousand of them for defense industry very, very common Exactly
Cordage: Yale distributor is right down the street bonus Yale and many others are on the east coast.., most in New England
Coregated packaging: Manufacturer is here in LA dime-a-dozen operation. Exactly
Foam core: Distributor is here in Los Angeles distributors country-wide Exactly
Technical: Morrelli and Melvin are just a few minutes away what physical products do they provide? Good question. Designs can be sent worldwide.., so why do the designers need to be neighbors?
Parent company : For Perfromance having Catalina Yachts up the street is more cost effective and offers a better level of control. bonus Agreed, but the parent company also may do better on the east coast, where most of the other boat manufacturers are located.
Sailmakers: Ullman sails and Elliot Pattison are just minutes away from Perfromance which is helpful for battens and sails. bonus And in the east there is Calvert Sails, Sabre Sails, UK, Smyth, et al.., and only one in the west coast?

Should Mary and I start looking for spot for Hobie and Performance to move to in the Keys? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Rick

Maybe it’s time to start thinking about what's right with the Hobie 16, the only catamaran to make the top 20.

I believe its all been pointed out before(for those that choose to listen).Simple,affordable,fun to sail.....These same qualities apply to most of the boats in the top ten list.Maybe just maybe this is the recipe for success,but no this would be too simple an answer.I am sure we will hear from the regulars on this forum who will shoot this theory down,disputing this is far to simple an explanation.That all these boats are dated and too old....
I sometimes wonder if the Laser and Sunfish guys have a forum where they bash each other as much as this forum bashes each other,s cat design
I beleive the response to the survey should be.CONGRADULATIONS TO ALL THE TOP CLASSES,SAILORS AND VOLUNTEERS.

The answer to that is a BIG FAT YES! Take a look at the Sailing Anarchy http://sailinganarchy.com site some time. They make us look like bunch little old ladies at a tea party! And they have toned it down a bunch in the last year.

Any time a group is passionate about what they do and how they do it there is bound to be a pissing contest or two. Everyone once in a while it's pretty damn funny.

Dave

man I love me some SA.

Its fun, you really should try it sometime.

(but make sure you come back here twice as much)

They are a bit mono-biased over there, just as a forewarning.