I think the mast up storage area with good access to water is the biggest hold back to us here in the States. The one club here in Florida that offers this has the most active regular cat racing, every other weekend. When I travel to other countries I see that the most active cat fleets are where there is a club with mast up storage and a regular scheduled racing program, be it on week nights or weekends, the ability to get your boat in the water in about 15 minutes and not having to take it apart after every sail is a big draw. Everywhere I go, except the USA, has clubs with cats set up, ready to go. It's very strange to me that there are so few clubs like that here.

The mono clubs all offer on site storage for everything from Opti's to Melges 24's. In todays world of "I want it all and I want it now!" this is a big deal when you are trying to get more people out on the water and/or into your fleet. If they can rely on a regular racing schedule, kids program, maybe a beach for the wife to hang out at, or near by shopping, etc. that adds to the draw.

The problem here in the US is because of the run up in real estate prices, any good water front access has become un-affordable to any start up cat club. I was at a club up in Mass. 11 years ago, even though they had a very good program, the "board" was having trouble covering the property tax, and was considering selling the property, since it had become so valuable as about the only undeveloped waterfront in the greater Boston area. It was bought for something like $10,000 way back when, but had become worth millions over the years. Some on the Board didn't even sail! But they sure wanted a peice of that Millions if it was sold off to a developer for waterfront condo's.

Telling prospective newbies they will have trouble finding a place to launch is no way to get more people involved. I think if we had more clubs that welcomed cats, or if cats were to infiltrate regular dinghy clubs, we might get more converts from the mono crowds. But as was said back at the beginning, you have to get out there and sail to get noticed and create some interest in cats.

That's how I was converted, I saw a couple Tornados screaming across the bay while racing a mono-dinghy in 20 knots of wind, and I said, "I've got to check those things out!" and if I had not seen them, I'd still be racing monos.

If I didn't live on a lake today, I doubt I'd be sailing at all, since there are no good clubs less than 90 miles from me and I just wouldn't have the time to trailer, set up, sail, take down, drive home. Too much bother.