I dropped my membership in USSA back in the 90s when they first started showing disinterest in the Multihull community. They originally only courted us until NAMSA disbanded and endorsed them to its members, then after they had our membership money, they once again reverted back to Mono-snobbery. They helped with the Alter Cup mostly as a token to keep us paying and make it look like they were interested. They aren't, and they won't be. I also wrote a letter as did Bob, and it also was fed to the shredder.

Back when the catamaran was in its most successful time, we didn't need an organizing authority, we had 50-100 boats at our events, we had mixed brands, one design classes, and it was easy and fun. Most of us volunteered for race committee on a rotational basis, and we didn't need anyone's stamp of approval to hold a regatta other than filing a regatta form with the Coast Guard and notifying the Marine Police. We also didn't have as many hungry lawyers and no one got injured seriously, at least due to fault of the RC or other sailors. I recall one electrocution due to somemone attempting to pull their boat across a road with the mast up and not checking for power lines.

If things were to get back to that, I would love to come back to cat sailing, but I don't see that happening. I just don't see the same level of one design simple fun there, except possibly with the Wave class.

For those who think membership in USSA is necessary to enjoy competitive sailing, stay with USSA, or better, NAMSA in the newer format. Most of us had more fun the old way. If you ever wonder where the thousands of racers went, I am one who left because of the idiocy of structured organization and politics that USSA finds so appealing. I find it discouraging that many in the catamaran community, some from the first, and now the second generation, that were so free spirit in the 70s and 80s has fallen into the institutional mindset. Heavily structured and regulated fun ceases to be fun.