I also forgot to mention in my earlier post about weather. Sailing, as we all know, requires the right kind of weather. A perfect day to us means that it is windy. A perfect day to any of the other sports mentioned means it's not raining. Sailing is a pretty conditional sport. I know I don't tend to go when the reports aren't calling for winds over 10mph, and I actually like sailing in low winds to some degree. Granted, I'd much rather it be blowing 20 or more. There are just so many factors to consider. But don't get me wrong, I wish that sailing was far more popular than it is. I think we just have to be happy with what we have and that we all need to keep doing what we can to help people get hooked on sailing the way we are. I know I already have two friends that are having me look out for deals on boats for them. It's so great when that friend that doesn't have a boat gives you a call to ask you when the next time you plan on going out is. This is really a tough one.

The most important things are time and availibility!!! Spend some time done at the local beach/yacht club. I've placed my H-18mag at my yacht club right in front of the sailing school and made it availible to the kids to try. Three of the kids from the YC's Laser Racing Team took the challange, two hours later they had to send the YC's whaler after them as they just stayed off the club zipping back and forth but would not come to the beach!!! The kids came in with smiles from ear to ear, the sailing school director ( who races Lightings) walked around muttering " they've been turned to the Dark Side .... damn catamarans" We have had a good laugh laughing about it but we both agree that the secret is to get the kids out on the water in positions of control. So my boat sits there with an extra set of old sails for the kids to use, there have been days I just let them take it and have fun while I hang on the beach. Four of the kids flipped my boat on Labor Day and a their parents were out on a powerboat nearby, the parents came by, circled, took pictures, waved and left. The pictures were posted on the YC's website for all to see!!!They (the parents) sailed a Hobie 16 when dating!!! We have used those pictures too great advantage!!! Blackmail is so .... rewarding. Next year we hope to have a couple more cats for the kids to sail.

Look at the bright side…with the population growing… water access becoming scarcer...longer lines at launch sites… as the PWC invade traditional catamaran launching areas…less sailors mean less crowds and the aggravation that goes with it. I bet you guy are trying to get more people to buy cars and get on your road to work at rush hour too…LOL

Regards,
Bob

Take a look at the less than lukewarm discussion of a trans-atlantic record attempt on a beachcat in the thread Sailing in comfort, and you know what is wrong with us.

I think that is a bad example. Their website and communication is mainly in french, and that is probably the cause. If I do a website in norwegian, I dont expect much interest from those outside scandinavia who understands whats on the site.

You have a point there, but there haven't even been posts from people who have visited the site, couldn't understand what was going on and asked others about it. Over at Sailing Anarchy, one of the anarchists is translating Francis Joyons updates, because peple wanted to know and he felt called to the task. Even the attempt we're talking about here got more attention than here.

I think the userbase of sailinganarchy is a lot larger than on catsailor.com.
I understand what you say, but people need to be extremely interested to go asking for help translating. I still think the example isn't very good or symptomatic for what this thread is about. Just look at how some threads here really take off, while others which I personally find highly interesting just get 10-15 posts. We are all different, and generating interest isn't straight forward. Just look at all the failed multi-million dollar movie productions. If generating interest was an exact and well known science, MGM &co would not throw millions out the window on failed movies. This is largely about psychology, which is rather a black art except for the guiding principles.

Of course not everybody is interested in everything. But when I say in a convent hey, guys (or girls in case of a nunnery) I've got news about the Pope, I'd expect an interested audience.

Affordable and Cool

At the root of it a skate board, snow board or BMX bike are all very affordable and COOL. We have affordable catamarans out there (not quite as cheap as a BMX bike) but those boats are bashed by the more experienced sailors and relegated to the un-cool. That's a deal breaker for kids. Being cool is obviously a central theme for a 15 year old.

The monohull guys have it right. A Laser is cool AND affordable. Guess what, there are tons of kids sailing them. Even the Opti kids consider themselves cool (300+ boats at regattas all over the country). Cool doesn't have anything to do with the actual equipment it's just a function of the culture surrounding it. Now as soon as a kid gets into a Hobie 16 or a Wave or a Bravo some A-hole has got to tell him how un-cool it is. Deal breaker.

What's really un-cool is having a brand new hotsh*t16, that mom and dad spent 15 grand on, and having to race by yourself. We need a culture shift and we could take a lesson from the monohull guys. Sailing is popular. If you go down to Sail Newport and try and get your kid on the waiting list for summer sailing lessons you will see what I'm talking about. Catamaran sailing has some work to do.

So, if you say a H16 is uncool you're an A-hole, whereas if you say an F16 is uncool you're helping the sport. Got it.

If Hobie made a hotsh*t16 would that be cool or uncool?

Who said anything about F16's? I's ALL cool so long as you can get a race off!
This is exactly my point. You've got to get away from the bash fest. Time to move forward instead of shooting yourself in the foot.

humm,

We have had the Hobie wave and other "cool" hobie small boats for many many years now. Apart from the fleet fromed around Ricks efforts we have no succes with these boats anywhere in the world.

And before anybody starts singing praise about the Dragoon, that is a GLASS fibre boat that is raced in France and some in UK and that isn't cheap either.

But I guess anybody who points this out is just a A-hole. probably suffering from some kind of irrational and fanatical hatred for anything hobie (except the Tiger F18 and FX-one and other "un-cool" modern Hobie boats).

Well something like that anyway.

If we just all submit ourselves to the Hobie God of catsaling then everything will be alright overnight.

By they way, why did Hobie feel the need to design no less then 8 different small (youth) boats inside 10 years ? ( http://www.hobie-cat.net/site_gb/?produits,produits )

Hobie Advance
Hobie Bravo
Hobie Catsy
Hobie Teddy
Hobie Twixxy
Hobie Wave
Hobie Maxx
Hobie Dragoon

Come to think of it, why did hobie Corp design the FX-one if everything was just a O.K. with the H16 ?

I guess Hobie corp doesn't need to play by the same rules as the rest of the world right ?

If non-hobie sailors make a new class then it only takes away from "succesful" hobie classes like the Wave and H16 , but when Hobie corp itself designs new boats and forms new classes that directly compete with these then everything is dandy, right ?

Or something like that anyway.

Wouter

Here we go again.
Good luck growing sailing on an internet forum.

And now it is US (the non hobie sailors) who need to get off the bashing !

This is getting REALLY rich !


Why don't you just ....

Wouter

Well Wouter is true to form as usual!

Ok I am a sailboat dealer and I will tell you about the customers that at least go through my front door. Customer whether experienced or not are looking for simplicity, stability, versatility, and fun. I always keep a bunch of Hobie Islands in stock because in the busy season I will sell a bunch each week, not each month but each week. I know you guys think they suck but this little trimaran has hit the market right on the head, for most of my customers.

My kids love the Islands followed by the Wave & Open Bic. My older clientele are buying Getaways, H16’s, and C22’s, and Snarks the most economical sailboat on the planet. I always have these boats in stock. I have tried tons of other model sailboats (including other catamaran manufactures) but the above is what sells and is what people at least in my area are buying. Heck every season I consistently sell Hobie 16’s (the boat on this forum that every says sucks and no one wants).

I have notices an increase of interest in sailing as the gas prices have risen. I run a sailing school for dinghy (with Wave’s and Open Bic’s), trail-able multihulls (R33), and keelboat class (C22). Sailing is our area is really growing. Our club has really grow in particular because of the Island and stable H16 and Wave crowed.

Hey SAIL, thanks for sharing your observations. Your post would be even more helpful if we knew where you are located.

Sorry, I assumed that "hotsh*t16" was code for F16. It dosen't sound nice to me.

I understood your point to be don't sail cool boats. Sail lame boats and try to convince yourself and others that they are cool. The problem is that kids are really good at seeing through that.

Sorry if my use of "lame" offends you. But any kid knows that modern, lightweight, fast things are cool and old, heavy, slow things are lame.

Wow, I usually enjoy reading contibutions from Wouter; because they always seemed to be strong opinions based on fact, and not always touting the party line.

However, this last post seems to follow the mindless rant that usually follows a passionate topic.

check out what James Robinson and club are doing on the island, fab website as well.) www.islandcatsailing.com
http://www.islandcatsailing.com/cms/index.php?section=27

We've got a very strong youth movement in the Pacific Northwest. And gaining momentum every year.
Lots of passionate people working behind the scenes to keep it alive. Working towards critical mass.
Sail Sand Point in Seattle, Wa has been expanding their youth mulithull program for years.
www.sailsandpoint.org

Just because you don't have first hand knowledge doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

That's the real strength of this forum. To inform and share.
Just my 2 cents. (worth less everyday, due to the exchange rate.)

My first post should have said Catamaran Sailing.
My thought was to provoke some outside the same old tired box thinking.

I have seen no evidence that suggests that an old heavy slow boat or a new light fast boat has anything to do with increased participation. It's never going to be about the boat. It's a people thing.IMO
The programs that Peter Nelson, Caleb and others have been doing are great. As I said earlier, the programs are in place. This was supposed to be about how to get young people to seek out those programs.

The marketing angle was what I wanted to kick around.
If any of you have ever read Jeffory Gitomer's Little Red Book of Selling he talks about how sales people complain about not being able to get phone calls returned, can't setup appointments, close a sale or get potentional new customers to call them.
His very blunt take on this is that "You Suck" and need to do things differant.

There are many sales and marketing stories that go back many years about one manufacturer vs. another and the end result is that the best sales department or marketing idea is what caused the success and not the product.
This goes back to Diamond Jim and the railroads, the Colt 45 wild west shows all the way up to Patron tequila(marketed brilliantly by a hair product guy).

So some of the earlier comments about media coverage,celebrity sailing and the WWF's plans may be useful in making young people think that what we do is cool.
Boat or people bashing of any kind will take us no where.

There isn't a shortage of good designs out there.
There seems to be a lack of good advertising.

If it's not about the boat why are we so worked up about the Tornado not being in the Olympics? What about the argument that having a cool multi in the Olympics will draw more attention then a slow, old, heavy keelboat?

How come people are all excited about the Blade F12? Why isn't the Hobie Bravo good enough for them?

Multihull sailing is by definition about the boat. Otherwise we wouldn't make the distinction - we'd just be sailing.