As Matt says ----- Let's clarify a bit...
Ok Matt I will admit I do not have direct access to inside information like you do but, lets go over a few things here.
You said --
1) Jeff Alter does not work for Hobie Cat USA or Hobie Cat France, Brazil, Australia or any Hobie Cat manufacturer. He is a contributor to the class. Jeff donates TONS of his personal time and effort to support Hobie Cat sailing and gets no "pay check" for it. He is a kind and thinking man who loves the sport and the class that his father created. He has a clear understanding of what made Hobie Class racing great to start with and these concepts are still valid today.
Question: Isn't the Alter Family still equity owners of Hobie cat that recieve dividend/profit payments from the company as revenues occur?
My point here Matt is if this in indeed the case then Jeff Alter is ipso facto an employee (of sorts) and should in no way have a major impact in the workings of NAHCA.
You state ---2) Hobie Cat USA does tons to support Hobie Cat racing and NAHCA. A few contributions I can think of at the moment are:
Hobie Cat gives Cash support to NAHCA (a large percentage of the NAHCA annual budget). Also, don't forget that the class association used to be 100% Hobie Cat factory. The entire class association staff were paid Hobie Cat employees... There have been hundreds of major events put on by the factory over the years
Matt, Where is this split between Nahca and HCUSA? This is part of the discussion here. How much does NAHCA "owe" HCUSA -- in the areas of support.
Matt I really don't have a problem with Hobie, Jeff or Nahca. Where I have a problem is at this illusion of "we don't control the class" and then the double talk of "we suggest that you do this". Its about as direct as a teenager going against their parent.
Matt, I'm not trying to devalue what Hobie has done in the past. Just trying to be direct about what Hobie and Nahca should do in the future. If both would move towards a middle position with a national body then all of catsailing would benefit. I have not said that Nahca does not have the right to promote one design racing and I have not said that HCUSA does not have the right to support NAHCA. What I have said loud and clear is that NAHCA does not have the right to exclude people or suggest that "its" fleets do.
Unfortunately, this simple or simplistic suggestion has been take like the words of GOD by Moses and used to alienate other catsailors. That is a problem. Now Matt, what do you suggest to do to correct this?
Back to the other isues ---
It is not easy to sell regatta boat product and is certainly not the most profitable (if there is any) way to do business. It is a costly and time-consuming ordeal that takes a huge toll on the factory personnel. We have been stuck with un-sellable used product many times.
Matt, you and I know that this "unsellable product" is then written off across the books or disassembled and sold as parts. Don't cry a river here -- we're businessmen and that happens. Your marketing lift exceeds your negative arbitrage or you should rethink your business plan.
>> “As for supplying boats for nationals, international and regional events. That is a clearly defined marketing program that is in place to sell boats. And they sell everyone of them after the regatta. Simple supply and demand. Build inventory -- display it and sell it at a perceived value. Thats business 101.” <<
It is a HUGE investment in time and money and in the recent decade, no slam dunk "sales 101".
Matt I said "business 101" not " sales 101 - your words". You provide a healthy look of what your product is, does, says, and delivers. Then you maximize its availability -- it is the most basic prinicple of marketing. How it effects your books is another matter. If it is such a burden on your staff and company then you might want to reconsider your staff and/or business models/activities.
Hobie Cat supports the US Sailing Fast and Fun program with discounted product, free parts and many other services. We are currently storeing the programs semi trailer and recently refurbished the Hobie Wave fleet without any cost to the program.
Matt, yes you guys do and I applaud you for it. Art does a wonderful job and Hobie's support of this program goes largely unnoticed. Which I feel will change in the near future. It is HCUSA/Art Stephens commitment to this program that is taking catsailing to the next generation. A national organization like NAMSA could help in many ways.
>>"I honestly couldn't tell you due to the "I'd rather sail the box my hobie came in than a nacra" mentality that is prevalent in many fleets."<<
Do you even know where that "sail the box" thing came from???... That's ancient NACRA talk... This certainly is not a Hobie sailors saying or attitude.
Matt you need to take a reality check here for a minute. That is a very "my angel would never do that..." train of thought. It comes from both sides of the fence. Several sailors have, are, or feel like they are being run off by this latest fracture in NAHCA's direction.
4) Don't forget that if NAHCA had not allowed other classes to "join in the fun" a number of years ago... we wouldn't even be having this discussion. It would have been a "just-Hobie" class association as it was originally intended (as all Class associations are supposed to be). That’s why they are called CLASS associations right? (This is quite seperate from the issue of allowing other classes to join in at Hobie fleet events.)
Matt - that was the past and that is my point across the board.
What NAHCA has done in the past -- may in part have saved the ship but, its still taking on water and we are all going to drown before it gets back underway.
Hobie does alot of good things -- I'm the first to say it. However, as a Hobiesailor and NAHCA member its might right to say that it does alot wrong too! How things where/are handled in regards to Nahca's operation is wrong. The area representatives (some -- not trying to say all here) did not have a clue about what the average hobie sailor wanted. We in general where not querried about what the future needs are/should be.
NAHCA as I think Mark said "Is a 1000 pound gorrilla" in alot of the country. It has just enough clout to hurt you but not enough to run the jungle.
Hobie Cat does alot of good things and the staff are nice people. Please don't take this critizism as a personal attack -- I don't believe that anyone is or wants to commit fraud here.
What I am saying is that policies need to change and both organization need to toss their parts on the table so that others can in order to build this sport nationally.
Other organizations like CRAM, CRAW, CABB, Tornado Class, A Class, PC, and the others that I have missed. Have alot to offer. They have personel, sailors, business contacts, and assets to bring to the table. As does NAHCA (and hobie if they want to get envolved). By working with other class associations/clubs then we all move farther down the road together. Its called teamwork! Something that no one should be afraid of.
If Hobie wants more business then it needs to cultivate the market. There is more market than just what it "controls - supports" through NAHCA. We have seen the decline in all of HCUSA's catamaran product line (either offered or sold)over the years. Matt you and I know it is due to the fact that people are just not buying your product like they use to. In fact, your new designs are being built by your sister company (except the plastic boats and old models, which HCUSA plans to gradually phase out) --- you know this is due to the larger european market. Why is it a larger market? Because in europe they (manufacturers, fleets, clubs,suppliers, associations) are working together to cultivate the marketplace.
We need to have alittle vision here, choke down the medicine and try to get healthy.
NAMSA could be the vehicle that coordinates all the classes, organizes regatta schedules, publish a national monthly newsletter, manage the image of catsailing, promote catsailing, and speak via MHC to USSA about issues that are important to catsailors.
Remember Matt Hobie Alter just organized what the Yacht clubs didn't want all those years ago. USSA (run by Yacht club-crowd) still thinks of us as outcasts. Why?
Because we are fractionalized, don't want to work together, try to protect our little domains, and argue about inches taken out of each others turf. I guess its kind of like the colonies before the revoluntionary war.
Matt, lick your wounds abit. ( if you feel I attacked you personally then I apologize, I'm abit of an anarchist at heart) Think about the big picture for us all.
Steve
