but there are ways to eliminate some steps.
Yes. All manufacturers do work on engineering ease of setup, and the nicer designs coming out are better. When it's about revitalizing fleets or getting noobies oriented, it is all about rigging setup speed and ease though.
The dealers have no real effect here, at least as far as the more serious boats go.
That is true here as well. When I said dealers drive the market, I meant they have control. They can have negative effect or they can drive it up, as Andrew mentions, where a Canadian dealer in Florida is making Mystere popular.
The forum is a good source of info. Manufacturer technical publications are a good source. But nothing drives things like getting information person-to-person. New sailors go mostly to dealers for technical support. Or they have a group of fellow boat owners that they get help from.
There are a huge number of boat owners in this area. The cat is a fantastic ride once you get the hang of things but the learning curve is long. Anything to shorten the curve...
