Reading other posts, it seems as racers migrate to the new and improved models the older ones die off (or is greatly reduced in numbers). Where do these boats go? If there was once a good H20 fleet in an area and then they migrated to the I20's what happened to the boats that made up the "Good" sized fleet before. It was also mentioned the same thing is happening to the I20 boats. Where are they going?

From a novice stand point, the novice racers wanting to move up could get these at a reasonable cost and still have a fleet. But the idea or consensus is that these boats dissapear, at least from what I see here on the forum.

Clayton
S27, H16 (would love to get a newer higher tech boat)

Here is what happened to mine...

And you can buy it CHEAP!

Eric,

I can't figure out where you're standing. Are you on a sandbar looking North at the Rickenbacker causeway?

And...Whose nice Mono is for sale in the background?

That is not me, that is the Commodore of CABB, Mr. John McKnight, whom I owe a great debt of gratitude for hangin with me through that whole @#$%^*&^%$@.

Ok Eric, you've got a story to tell.

Buy the way, is that lovely lady in the center saying "call me" Just kidding.

My Hobie 20 is in much better shape then Eric's. It is disassembled and hanging under my deck in my back yard. And it's for sail.

Brent Carlson
F-18
#338

I heard about that one... Good recovery though. Looking at the pic, I think I can figure out what really happened. She was your crew, happened to be doing something that really occupied your attention and you drove right in front of another little boat. All in all, thank GOD no one was seriously hurt.

OK, so now we've accounted for 2 boats. That explains it all. There must be a black hole that just sucks the dying boats into.

Clayton

here's another one....

That's very fixable.

I thought so too at first - but the foam core back about three feet was mush and the horizontal bulkhead(?) was detached and/or shattered inside the hull wayyyyy back on both hulls. Two different shops (who do a lot of glass work on sailboats including cats) said it would be cheaper to replace the hulls because repair would require two whole new bow sections (which would have to be built from scratch or taken from a doner boat).

"here's another one.... "

You must have hooked it up to some serious lightening rods!!!! It's ALIVE.....sinister laugh.mmmhaaaa.

Should have put her down in my opinion, would sure save a lot of scoring work

And yet another one . . .



Proving that seawalls are tougher than Tigers.

Stop it!! This makes me want to cry....all the carnage....ahhhhhhh! Oh yeah, Jake, that front crossbeam on your 6.0 looks really familiar

Trey
I-20 314

I want to cry, too!

...not because of the damage, but because of the good lookin' crew in blue! My crew always looks more like Garrison Keillor, than an episode of Bay Watch.

Jeff,

Move to Miami, you can sail with her at every CABB event.

WHAT!!! Leave Minnesota??? ...And miss watching the ice melt off the lake every spring???

Nah,...just dress her in the biggest, puffiest, parka you can find and send her up here. If she complains, tell her it could be worse...say like...Lake Winnipeg..., or Great Slave Lake!

Well, getting back to the subject (sort of); here's my crash picture (car damage). All three bulkheads popped loose, 6'+ of delam, self-repaired and seems to be holding up as my playboat (with wings).

I think I have the newest H20 racing on the Ches. Bay now (98?). A lot of the old race boats are going to recreational sailors (who seem to pass them along fairly quickly); a lot of the old race boats are still sitting with their owners but not being raced. About 50/50 of these ex-H20 racers have other boats they actively race; the other half have pretty much given up sailing. Hurts to go to marinas/clubs and see all the H20s sitting :-(

Chris

So - if I were somebody interested in a Hobie-20 resurrection on the Bay, I'd hunt down the owners of those boats and ask them two questions:
1) Would you be interested in getting the Hobie-20 class going again and participating?
2) If not - would you be interested in selling your boat, and if so can I list it to people interested in question #1?

I would then promote the Hell out things, and not just to the local cat clubs - most people there have made their minds up about what they want to sail. So, make flyers, put them up at all the local boating stores. Write letters to Spinsheet. Create a Bay area Hobie-20 web site, and convince the other clubs to add links and give you promotion - list the Hobie-20s for sale on that site, try to offer special deals for people who will agree to keep the boat in the area and participate. Whether or not you feel the need to be a Hobie Fleet or not is up to your mission statement - if you don't become a Hobie Fleet you might be free to create the Chesapeake 20 spec, to include a spinnaker or whatever. The club/class doesn't need to be a new one, see if you can piggyback on CRAC or WRCRA, or even WRSC with the A-Cats if you can convince them it's another one-design class.

It's work, but it can work. Even if it ends up failing you at least tried, and I guarantee you'll make a bunch of new friends that just may end up helping other existing Fleets. It may be a long time in the making, but if you only add one boat a year you've still added one boat a year.

I've always felt that the dying class boats offer a great way to entice non-catsailors into the catsailing brethren. They can often be had fairly cheaply so the cash outlay isn't daunting. Even a slow cat is fast and exciting by mono standards. And with open class racing available the new owners can get a taste of catsailing competition. Where they go from there is open, but you lay a groundwork for people to look at the next step of their involvement. I've seen people stick with the old boat and be happy, and I've seen them get hooked and launch into one of the other classes.

The mantra we all need to chant is "new blood". Say it over and over again. Don't try to get the current sailors interested in your class, especially if it is a dead boat society class. They'll get interested simply by seeing what's going on. DO promote to those outside the current scene that are interested but are scared by the thought of sailing or buying something like an Inter-20 if they know nothing of cats. Convert the mono sailors, get people out who don't even know how to sail. New Blood, new blood, new blood.

Be patient with the new blood, nurture the new blood. The old blood always have things competing for their time, and with good cause they sometimes stray from the flock. Sometimes they come back, sometimes they don't, that's life. If you constantly add new blood, your club stays young and vibrant.

Use the dying class boats to keep the sport from dying by bringing in New Blood.

Rant mode off...

Chris,
I've been traveling and now am catching up with all the catsailor posts (lots of fun, like reading the stacks of mail when you get back home, without the bills). Chris, where are you located and where do you keep your boat? We have about 7 H20s on the bay around West River. 3 located out of DC, 2 in Richmond, 1 at Herring Harbor and 1 at West River (I think). We're talking about the CRAC schedule now and discussing at what races we want to meet. Send me a separate email and I'll include you in the dialogue.

David
H20 781

I have H-20 parts..... I'll send Rick some cash..

Spin, Main(new
0, mast, a rudder, a board other misc stuff