Wouter writes: "Hobie corp screeming at the top of their longs in "cat sailing in trouble"...?

Huh? Where did you read any of that in this thread?

Jake,

Thanks for the compliment on the layout It looks hard, but it really isn't. I'm genuinely enjoying the work on the magazine - now. (Ask me if I'm having fun a year from now )

Division 9's schedule came in at the very last minute (They had their meeting on 12/4, deadline was 12/7.) Lloyd Graves got me the schedule the day I uploaded the files to the printer. I asked him which ones were going to be HCA sanctioned events and he wan't sure. Rather than quibble about which ones were "Hobie One-design", I let it fly as is. I'm going to have to pare it down for the next issue. I have somewhat the same problem with Division 2 (So. Cal.)

All the other events are confirmed Hobie One-design regattas. There's even been some added since. Matt M. has an update that he's supposed to slide into the on-line version
(but it arrived when you were on vacation and you forgot about it, right, Matt? )

Who is Wouter and why does he care?

Wouter -

It's been pointed out in a different thread that

Hobie Cat USA (Doug Skidmore)

is not the same company as

Hobie Cat Europe (John Dinsdale)

While they build several identical (OK, substantially similar) products, they serve two completely different markets.

They are like conjoined twins that don't always play nice together.

Now that is a good question !

Quite frankly I'm a nobody and everybody can ignore my ramblings as they wish. I certainly won't loose any sleep over that.


>>Why does he care

Because I got sick and tired of hearing the same misinformation being peddled once again by an entity that should have known better.

Because I want to make sure (for my personal piece of mind) that potential customers of the targetted boats and classes (F18 and Tigers) understand that the situation is a lot more nuanced.

Let me say it this way. In the past I got flamed for warning that the Tiger class was NOT a OD class as a certain segment of the sailing public understands it. It was neither One-design as the Tornado with freedom of choice in parts NOR was it One-design as stability in the setup of the boats (strict equality) and I warned that despite assurances by some it never would be. Of course I got flamed beyond believe for that but even the recent Hobie class magazine has proven me right by now. No matter how you put it no Tiger sailor attending catsailor.com forum can say that he was never warned of this.

And that is the reason why I'm doing it now on other area's. To make sure that anybody that reads this forum knows that things may be different than what official bodies say. Actually the whole NMBR thing is part of it as well. Again it is too show that improvements ARE possible despite unwillingness on the side of the official bodies.

I never have earned a single Euro on any of this and it has cost me heaps of time and effort. I do this because I CARE about the individual sailors, about the future of the catamaran scene in general where we all have a place. I do it because if I can prevent a single sailor from being dissatisfied from buying a catamaran that was advertised at being something else it would all be worth it. And that goes for all issues : for 155 kg singlehanders that are advertised as 125 kg boats to boats that are Formula boats alot more then SMOD boats, to 80 kg adults being sold a new 14 footer that doesn't suit them (happened at my club ; TWICE; by both big builders)

That is what this forum is for right ? Help one another and learn from eachother ? Learn from eachothers experience and knowlegde?

I tend to have some decently founded knowlegde in certain area's. Boat measurements, handicap ratings, and the situation on the ground here in Europe. It is my pleasure but also to some extend my duty to share this with all; here on the forum.

Can you disregard all I write ; ABSOLUTELY. However you will have taken note that it has been written so you can never say that your weren't told when something I said turns out to be true. And I think I have a decent track record by now.

Believe me I have more than one refered sailors and buyers to Hobies when those suited their wishes/circumstances best.

Anything to grow the cat sailing scene right ?

This brings us to another interesting questions.

Have you ever refered sailors and buyers to non-hobie designs/classes ?



Wouter

Wouter

How ironic.
We have been catching wouter lying for years on this forum to promote his personal agendas and here he is saying
"Because I got sick and tired of hearing the same misinformation being peddled once again by an entity that should have known better."
But is different when we "out" him.

Wow Wouter, thanks so much for the insight. You should be getting paid for all this info. With as much writing as you do you could write a monthly magazine all by yourself. Mabe you should do that so everyone who is interested could subscribe. That sounds like the fix for cat sailing.

Matt
Words to live by: "Never spend more time typing than you do sailing!"

Sorry Matt (Bounds), I did overlook the email with the updated pages. The revised Hobie regatta schedule is now in the Class Newsletter pdf online.

Matt

The regattas for division 9 still have not changed in the updated list . At the division 9 meeting it was left up to the people putting on the regattas to do what they wanted. All but one which was not there expresed having open regattas.

Mark, Dave, and Mary:

It's our belief that if our Fleet decided to refuse the opportunity to run a Hobie points regatta, we would lose the entrants that travel the 3-5 hours to enjoy our weekend, instead they would focus on traveling either the week before or the week later to other points regatta that would be waiting to replace us.

Well, the question is now put to bed, anyway. Our Fleet has voted to offer a Hobie points regatta where we will not have an open fleet for non-Hobie boats. We will take advantage of the advertising in the Hobie Associations' calendar and do business as usual.

Just to answer a question that was brought up: The term "anti-Hobie people" was meant to describe people in our club that enjoy sailing, but do not enjoy having anyone tell them what to do. We're cool now; we've calmed down; we're going to have a great summer. Keep an eye on our website.

Smooth waters,

Wyatt

Dave,

And I would have to look again but the one regatta in Division 9 (Myrtle Beach - later in the year) that we assumed might want to remain Hobie is not in the NAHCA newsletter schedule. This regatta was not represented at the meeting and we weren't able to establish a date that they might have wanted.

Well, at our club we decided to balance our calendar so everybody will find something:

Open racing? Fleet races(13) and Statue Race
Class racing? Hobie points and Wave event
Formula? Our Formula week end on Labor Day

Which does not prevent hobies, waves and F18/17 to race on fleet races.
Note that any outsider can participate to a fleet race. I learned recently that we are the last division 11 club running a Fleet race program (average participation is 20 boats and growing). So everybody is welcome, just show up at the skippers meeting on a race day (Calendar and club races rules at Fleet250.org).

That should work.

Jacques Pierret
SHBCC Race.org

Dave - If you'll notice, the revised date is 12/28 and I said I would make the Division 9 changes in the next issue. Formatting those two pages is a PIA, so I only made a couple of minor revisions. Major revisions will wait until the next deadline (Feb 7). In the meantime, you guys get free advertising.

Wyatt - If you'll send me the date & contact info, I'll update the Division 16 schedule (I assume we are talking about the Fleet 119 Angola / Buffalo regatta). As long as the date works, you're definitely back on my schedule!

What encloses the Formula 17 fleet ?

Wouter

[/quote]

What encloses the Formula 17 fleet ?

Wouter [/quote]

good question.

We have a growing I17 fleet (8 boats) at the club, and may be a Fx1 coming. They are our F17s.

Thanks and a question

I'm not saying that one will turn up but if an F16 would turn up at your event where will you put him ?

I heard a rumour of a crew thinking about attending. Just rumour at this time

Wouter

Hi Wouter,

I knew this was coming...

This applies only for our formula week end on labor day.
We will have F18s, for sure. F17 also as we know there are there and are happy to be invited. We are also trying to start with F20s(I20,N6.0, Ts) even if I am not sure if they will show up. Pre registration will tell.
For F16, well, we will see if the idea of "Formula week end" works, then we may propose it in the future although I do not know any of them in our area.

The idea is not to have 100 boats. We do not want to disperse ourselves but propose serious buoys racing for a few formula classes.

Jacques

I fully understand, but the F17 is not a formula class, but a OD class.

What I'm getting at is if you are going to race I-17 with FX-one than you might as well allow the F16's into the F17 fold. The difference between Nacra I1-7 and the F16 is less than the difference in speed between the N17 and FX-one.

But again it is not a serious issue, it is not like many F16's will show up in NY. IF ever just 1 ot 2.

And I don't mean anything by it, I just want to keep my pictures of th US sailing scene updated

Thanks

Wouter