Who_Me
“Seeker, merely because I dispute your claim that ODs are doomed does not make me a troll.”
>>>If you are so confident in your statements, why do you feel the need to hide your identity? You show up (5/09/06), never posting before (under this name at least) and make statements you are evidently not comfortable standing behind. What else am I to think?
>>>When the old open forum was operating there were many anonymous posters stirring the pot on a daily bases. We have been free of the vast majority of that kind of behavior on the new open forum. It is amazing how much more civilized people become when they have to identify themselves. To me, someone who is not man/woman enough to stand behind their words shows a lack on integrity.
“You are pretty close to anonymous yourself; I can't see why you make such a fuss about it. It wouldn't change the facts.”
>>>Lets see…My First and Last Name is listed, City/State/Country is listed, the fact that I have been a member on this forum since 04/04/02…and this post happens to be my 200th…I am not ashamed to link my name with my opinions.
>>>There are items of truths in the body of your posts I will not deny, but they are general in nature. Some of your statements kind of distort the facts…like the 60’s long board analogy…the long boards of today are so much more advanced in material and design that the only thing in common is the length...Compare a new Surf Tech Long board and a 60’s Clark foam and polyester board and tell me they are the same….same Weight? No, Same Rocker? No, Same Outline shape? No, Same Thickness Flow? NO, Same Fins? NO, same Materials?, No…please. In the windsurfing analogy…as you progress in windsurfing you need more wind to be able to push to the next level. While drifting around on an old 12’ one design board might have satisfied when you first start out, it hardly compares to advanced high speed maneuvers and aerials. In the US it is hard to find steady 20 mph+ conditions with any kind of consistency. After a while you get tired of standing on the beach all day waiting for the wind to come up. You move on to something else. It had little to do with OD racing as very, very few Windsurfers race.
>>>The facts are not kind when it comes to the popularity numbers of Cat sailing or sailing in general. In comparisons to other sports that the general population participates in, we are hardly a blip on the radar. Even within the more general heading or “boating” we show a very small presence.
>>>Sports have come into being, and eclipsed Cat Sailing because of better marketing of their product. How many TV commercials have you seen promoting PWC or Off Road 4 wheelers in comparison to how many TV commercials you have seen promoting Cat sailing? I don’t remember ever seeing a dedicated commercial promoting Cat sailing…let alone a 30 minute infomercial such as the one out promoting the Evinrude E-tech 2 stroke outboard. People get emotionally involved with things they see on TV and in full color, popular, main stream magazines.
>>>Cat sailing is in the background…not the leading edge. Until someone promotes it properly (meaning spending some serious advertising dollars) it is going to stay in the background.Check out some of the video that show up on this forum and the F-16 forum from time to time...it will get you so excited you can't wait to get back on the water again...that's what we need...but on main stream TV. Enjoy sailing on your own terms and try not to get too worked up over the numbers.
Regards,
Bob Hall
