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Where do new cat sailors come from? #77083
06/07/06 06:11 AM
06/07/06 06:11 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 461
Sydney Australia
Berny Offline OP
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Berny  Offline OP
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Sydney Australia
It's a genuine question. I'm familiar with the Australian situation but I'd like to know what is happening in other parts of the world.

Here, most new cat sailors are either monohull converts or the siblings of older sailors, having gained their experience crewing for Dad.
Cat sailors in Oz are generally not club sailors but more of a regatta roaming group, with few if any roots in sailing clubs per se.
There are very few (two that I know of) cat specific sailing clubs in NSW and that probably runs true through Australia, which most likely explains why cat sailors tend to be older in general than their monohull sailing cousins. There are no cat specific training programs such as they have in the mono ranks here. I'm not aware of any sailing schools run specifically for teaching catamaran handling skills anywhere in the world which probably goes toward explaining the impending demise of small cat racing here, and elsewhere it seems.
Is it the same in Europe and The US?

I believe it's an issue which should be addressed if cat sailing/racing is to reach it's potential world-wide. Young recruits coming up through the ranks is crucial for future development
What do you think?

-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Berny] #77084
06/07/06 07:24 AM
06/07/06 07:24 AM
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 141
Panama City Beach, FL
steveh Offline
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steveh  Offline
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Posts: 141
Panama City Beach, FL
Eh? Front page, down on the left under Special Sites is Sailing Seminars. Unfortunately, my summer is already booked.
http://www.catsailor.com/sailingseminars/ss.html

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Berny] #77085
06/07/06 07:34 AM
06/07/06 07:34 AM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,382
Essex, UK
Jalani Offline
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Jalani  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,382
Essex, UK
In the UK Brian Phipps runs the (very successful) Windsport Cat Clinic.

Windsport Website

There are others around the country and several clubs have RYA Multihull Coaches among their members.


John Alani
___________
Stealth F16s GBR527 and GBR538
Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Berny] #77086
06/07/06 07:35 AM
06/07/06 07:35 AM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,669
Melbourne, Australia
Tornado_ALIVE Offline
Pooh-Bah
Tornado_ALIVE  Offline
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,669
Melbourne, Australia
Hi Berny,

Agree with most of what you say.....

Quote
Cat sailors in Oz are generally not club sailors but more of a regatta roaming group, with few if any roots in sailing clubs per se.


There is a core group of dedicated Club Sailors and core group of roming Regatta sailors, with a few that commit to both.

Quote
There are no cat specific training programs such as they have in the mono ranks here.


Something I have been considering in the future (post Worlds) at our club.


Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Berny] #77087
06/07/06 01:39 PM
06/07/06 01:39 PM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 99
Virginia Beach
Sunvista Offline
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Sunvista  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 99
Virginia Beach
I live on the Atlantic coast. In its heyday in the late '70s the beaches here were prolific with Hobies, Nacras and Prindles. Then came the Jetski. The older guys kept sailing and the younger ones got personal watercraft. Gas and go...why wait for mother nature? The cat sailors in our fleet are mostly in their 50s and 60s now but still going strong, many with their same boats from the 80s. Beach cats were almost a fad here in the 70's and, of course, fads tend to fade. We still try to engage young folks but young people today are a whole new breed with seemingly limitless technology and a lot more choices. I can't tell you how many times I've watched a kite surfer and thought.... if only they had that fifteen years ago.

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Sunvista] #77088
06/07/06 02:58 PM
06/07/06 02:58 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 182
Coopersburg, PA
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Vinny_M Offline
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 182
Coopersburg, PA
I can agree with you that there are few younger people who are really into cat sailing let alone sailing in general. Well, at least in my neck of the woods there are very few kids my age who sail beach cats. I wasnt around in the 70's to know if cat sailing was big then, but I know that now, it really has the potential to become a big thing. All that is needed is for someone to start promoting it through the media more, being that today's world runs on the media.


~vinny~
Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Vinny_M] #77089
06/07/06 03:16 PM
06/07/06 03:16 PM
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,152
tampa, fl
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ksurfer2 Offline
old hand
ksurfer2  Offline
old hand
K

Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,152
tampa, fl
I believe that sailing in general is still going strong. At the club I sail at in Tampa, there was a "school's out" regatta a couple weekends ago. There were a 100+ opti's on the water plus dozens of 420's and Lasers. That is a lot of kids getting into sailing. The question is how do we get these kids onto cats.


If your havin girl problems i feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems but my beautiful wife ain't one
Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Berny] #77090
06/07/06 03:34 PM
06/07/06 03:34 PM

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Anonymous
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From personal experience… I got into catamarans because someone took me out on one when I was young. I have taken people out on my boat and they have decided to get their own afterwards.

Take them out on a windy day. They will either love it or be scared off, but they will see the speed. Then, when they want their own boat offer to teach them for free.

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: ] #77091
06/07/06 03:51 PM
06/07/06 03:51 PM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590
Naples, FL
waterbug_wpb Offline
Carpal Tunnel
waterbug_wpb  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590
Naples, FL
I took some people out in 10 kts, and flying a hull while the other boats were just bobbing seemed to convince them that catsailing was the ticket....

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Berny] #77092
06/07/06 04:30 PM
06/07/06 04:30 PM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 99
Virginia Beach
Sunvista Offline
journeyman
Sunvista  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 99
Virginia Beach
I don't think the manufacturers are doing much to promote cat sailing either. I live in a large metropolitan area with lots of water. You couldn't walk down the beach in the '70s without tripping over a H14 or H16. Now we don't even have a Hobie dealer. I sail a H16 and a P18, both 1982, but I wouldn't know where to go to buy a new one. Lots of boats around here are kluged together from old parts. After a Nor'easter we comb the beaches looking for stuff to recycle. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Last edited by Sunvista; 06/07/06 04:32 PM.
Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Sunvista] #77093
06/07/06 11:35 PM
06/07/06 11:35 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
JeffS Offline
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JeffS  Offline
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
I sail a stingray at Kingston SE South Australia in a cat and windsurfer club with my four kids. They showed an interest in sailing so I bought them a 420 which gives them ownership and commitment but after the adrenalin of a screaming reach on the cat and rescue boat proving that breakages are manageable its a battle to get the 420 in the water. The downside is the kids need your attention so I start at 8am race day and by the time the race starts Im buggered with waterlogged hulls, but at least they all get their turn.I have no shortage of crew my problem is I cant use them in scary weather so I am looking at self tacking jib setups to solo in the weather that has them looking longingly at the clubroom. My best memory of 2005-2006 race season is my eight year old daughter laying flat on her back on the tramp with her feet planted on the lee hull pulling the jib on with all her might, it should be a bit tighter but I leave it there. Its winter here and they keep asking when does sailing start. So I guess my answer to your problem is finding the time to devote the attention and praise the kids need.


Jeff Southall
Current boats
Nacra 5.8 1703 Animal Scanning Services
Nacra 5.8 1667 Ram Raider
Nacra 18 Square
Arrow 1576
Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Sunvista] #77094
06/08/06 01:11 AM
06/08/06 01:11 AM

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If I see someone really watch me as I sail I offer a ride. I try to take at least 6 newbies out a season. So far this year I have lead to 4 people getting boat, not including grand daughter (Mystere 4.3). I started her at 7, she is 12 now, with 2 years trap time and now learn stick and spinnaker. We must do everything we can to grow the sport, as it will NEVER be like the early 80's with I started.

Doug and Ashleigh Snell
Hobie 17 #007
Sunfish
Soon to be Mystere 4.3 # 149

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: ] #77095
06/08/06 09:25 AM
06/08/06 09:25 AM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 334
Thunder Bay ON CAN
M
mmadge Offline
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mmadge  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 334
Thunder Bay ON CAN
This from the Austrailian Hobie website

QLD Hobie assoc is staging a youth H16 training day Sat Jun24 and a one day Youth H16 regatta Sat Aug 12, both at Mooloolaba.
Each team will be allocated an experienced Hobie sailor as coach/mentor. The training day will involve land-based tuning and coaching as well as time on the water with the coach. The Saturday regatta, sponsored by Hogsbreath Cafe will involve short sprint races for H16 and H16 spi divisions Cost is $nil for the training day and $20.00 for the regatta.
All participants must be financial members of the Queensland Hobie Cat Association.
Notice Of Race for Regatta will be available soon.
Thanks to the many QLD Hobie assoc members who have volunteered their services to assist our new youth members.
Contact h16youth@sunstatehobie.com.au to register for more information

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Sunvista] #77096
06/08/06 02:07 PM
06/08/06 02:07 PM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 35
Lake Norman. NC
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Matt_Z Offline
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Matt_Z  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 35
Lake Norman. NC
It's interesting to read that the majority of cat sailors in some areas are older. I can attest that sailors in general around here are older. I don't know any cat sailors here but I see a couple on the lake now and then.
The earlier point about PWCs replacing cats wholesale makes a lot of sense, ski boats probably contribute also. I think access and storage is also a problem. On a recent trip back to my old stomping grounds on Barnegat Bay, NJ, I saw that the place I kept my Tornado was now off-limits to cats. It used to cost $10 a year to keep a cat there, now it can't be had at any price.
In the FL Keys last March I was hoping to take my wife out on a cat since she'd never been on one. I went through every boat and toy rental company in the yellow pages and could not find a single place to rent one. Plenty of jet skis though. Very disappointing.
At any rate, if the price of gas keeps going up we may see new sailors coming out of the woodwork.
Regards,
Matt

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Matt_Z] #77097
06/08/06 02:49 PM
06/08/06 02:49 PM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 440
Graham, NC
WindyHillF20 Offline
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WindyHillF20  Offline
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Posts: 440
Graham, NC
I sail off the beach in SC. In the early 80's people were always asking for a ride. Then the beach service starting giving rides for money. There were 20 boats on the beach in Windyhill alone. Now there are 2 boats on the beach. No one ever asks for a ride. I believe the cat companies missed the boat by not latching on to the extreme sports craze. We all know that strong wind in the ocean is totally extreme. Maybe the children of this generation are just too lazy for sailing, or biking, or surfing. Hell, most of them don't even play outside. Video games are a large part of this. I know guys in their 20's that will play Tiger Woods video golf all day, and bet against each other. Ask them too go to the course and really play golf and they are not interested, don't even own clubs.

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Matt_Z] #77098
06/08/06 02:54 PM
06/08/06 02:54 PM
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 141
Panama City Beach, FL
steveh Offline
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steveh  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 141
Panama City Beach, FL
Our last group outing we had six or seven boats out and all but two or three had people under 20 on them. A couple of weeks before that, I took one of my daughters out with my niece (13) and nephew (12). My nephew knows how to surf and sailboard, but it looked like hanging out on the trap trumped them both.

Me, I'm a monohull convert. I took my first sail on a cat at age 45 and the only way I'll go back is to a New Haven sharpie.

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: steveh] #77099
06/08/06 04:09 PM
06/08/06 04:09 PM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 302
Raleigh/ Wrightsville Beach NC
MarkW_F18 Offline
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MarkW_F18  Offline
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Posts: 302
Raleigh/ Wrightsville Beach NC
Yea, I remember my first regatta at Wrightsville Beach, NC in 1980 (over 200 boats). Now they ban boats from that beach. I've seen the decline, but think there is potenial to grow. Some media exposure with events like the VolvoExtreme40 and Tybee500 would help. We need to start actively promoting Cat sailing to high school and college kids.
There has been a movement of new Cat sailors from the NC State Sailing Club thanks to Trey and Tad (Velocity Sail Team). They've brought 3-5 boats to several area events. I think colleges and college sail clubs could be a great target for new Cat Sailors. They provide a pool of Thrill Seeking kids that would love to crew. They are also at the age where they will have disposable income in a few years. I bought a used H16 before I bought a car when I got out of college. Mainly because I got the opportunity to start crewing for a friend when I was 18.


Mark Williams
F18 H16
http://emsa-sailing.org
Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: WindyHillF20] #77100
06/08/06 04:34 PM
06/08/06 04:34 PM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 169
Upstate, South Carolina
SunnyZ Offline
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SunnyZ  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 169
Upstate, South Carolina
I think it is unfair to say people are lazy or uninterested. I learned only because I happened to meet someone at work who sailed. Since I have started to learn I have talked to my friends about how much fun I am having. They are all interested, but honestly, I usually have to explain to them what a catamaran is. Some say 'after you learn take me!' Some think I have evidently lost my mind.
I really think the problem is more a lack of awareness among the non-sailing community.

Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: SunnyZ] #77101
06/08/06 04:49 PM
06/08/06 04:49 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 182
Coopersburg, PA
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Vinny_M Offline
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Vinny_M  Offline
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 182
Coopersburg, PA
I can agree with the Wendy, when I take my friends from school sailing with me, they have absolutely no prior knowledge of sailing in general, let alone cat sailing. After we finish with our trip though, they have clearly had a great time and later beg to come again. I think that more awareness would definetly get more youth my age into cat sailing. Maybe a presentation or something of the sort at a local HS or college as Mark noted would get more people interested.

Personally, I feel that unless you offer something in return to someone who is uninterested in a sport or activity, they will have no interest in the activity whatsoever. Perhaps a free ride on a beachcat one day or a free "learn to sail" lesson or something of that sort will "up the ante" a bit for youth to want to come out and learn to sail.


~vinny~
Re: Where do new cat sailors come from? [Re: Vinny_M] #77102
06/08/06 05:07 PM
06/08/06 05:07 PM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 302
Raleigh/ Wrightsville Beach NC
MarkW_F18 Offline
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MarkW_F18  Offline
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 302
Raleigh/ Wrightsville Beach NC
I think it would be cool if you could incorporate it into your normal regatta. Maybe start an hour earlier on Saturday to have a trial race. Have each skipper take a newby or two on their boat. Have one start with all classes and take a run around the course. You would need to have them sign a waiver to sail. Then, Maybe have someone do a seminar for them afterwards on the beach while they've started the regular races. This way they could hang around and have some idea of what is going on on the water and then participate in any after race parties, etc. You could promote it at area Colleges with a Flyer the weeks before or get in touch with the school's sailing club if they have one.


Mark Williams
F18 H16
http://emsa-sailing.org
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