Yep, I think we all overestimate -- at least in the United States. Most of the cat racing activity is in the eastern half of the United States, and that is with a relatively small number of active adult racers spread over a huge area. So why would we think there would be enough junior cat sailors? An affinity for catamaran sailing (or ANY sailing) is not genetic.

It all goes back to the way it has always been done through US Sailing, with sailing/racing youth camps at the yacht clubs and the fleet racing done on a regional basis through the Regional Sailing Associations, with ladder step regattas leading to national championships.

You guys are trying to re-invent the wheel, and it isn't going to work. The yacht clubs don't want to bring in catamarans as another fleet, because it will take kids from their existing fleet racing programs. And catamaran sailors just aren't organized enough -- and never will be, I hope. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Cripe, look at the two clubs Rick and I belong to. We have developed a fleet of 10 Waves at Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. We race twice a week and it is the ONLY racing program going on at that club. The Junior Sailing Program there, which goes on for about six weeks in early summer prior to Junior Bay Week, uses 420's and Lasers and maybe a couple of Flying Juniors (or whatever it is).

Why do they use those boats? Because those are the boats that are raced by the juniors in all the clubs in the RSA, and the elite racing crews travel to events within the region, with financial sponsorship from the club, I am sure.

Right after Junior Bay week in late July, all the junior boats are packed away in the barn except for a couple for the "elite" racing teams to use when they travel to events within the RSA. Do any of the other kids who participated in the sailing camp in early summer complain and ask why they can't continue using the boats and racing for the rest of the summer? NO! They really don't care. The sailing camp apparently is something their parents make them do.

At our club in Key Largo, we have developed a fleet of 12 Waves and we race there twice a week, as well. Again, the Waves are the ONLY active racing fleet at the club. The club has an ongoing junior sailing/racng program, and the club recently purchased four used 420's from another facility. Why? Because those are the boats that are used in the regional high school and club racing.

We have invited the junior sailors to come out and race with us in our series races Wednesday and Sunday, but they never do. Again, the kids really don't care about it.

Chip and Barb Short have this great program for kids in Islamorada (just south of Key Largo), and they are having great success in getting kids excited about sailing. But most of the kids are VERY adamant that they want nothing to do with racing. They just want to go out and sail and have fun and practice capsizing and righting and stuff like that. But at least in the process they ARE learning how to sail and are having fun at it. And, even better, they are learning on catamarans!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

So maybe that is what it is really all about when we are dealing with young kids and young teens. At least they are learning to love being on the water in sailboats. And that's kind of how it was for me when I was a kid -- and kind of how it still is, and maybe why I still feel like a kid. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />