The way I got interested in racing was because of the great support from the class assn. (I was on monohulls at the time).
They (class assn) held a couple of informal cruising events, offered up free technical advice and let me and my partner crew in a race as a "learning opportunity". I liked that and then they offered us a free "sailing -training class" led by the class champion himself, among other class top ten sailors! Then they encouraged me to attend the open German championships (we are neighbors after all)... And then I was totally hooked. I'll never be a real racer, time and money just don't allow that, but I believe this is the only way to get people interested in Racing.
Get the class org. to provide true Added Value for cruisers and other boat bums like me. They will gladly take the bait and devour it hook line and sinker. (lose the inward focus, look at the potential that is out there!)
Oh yeah, I could not afford a decent boat at the time, but I had my old 1977 model tweaked so nicely the class champion was envious of the "feel" the second he came aboard. I sold the boat afterward and it went on to become the German champion a couple of times in a row.

Why do you think the Hobie 16 sailors, who have provided the overwhelming amount of organizational effort over the past years, should promote another new class?

The Wave class was formed and led by Wave Sailors... the recent efforts harmonize the Wave Class with the NAHCA... but make no mistake... the Wave Class runs their own affairs.

A suggestion to form another eunuch class (ie class without the balls to do their own thing) make's no sense to me.

If the Getaway's get their stuff together and want to go racing... they can ask any club to offer them a start. The NAHCA clubs are only active in some parts of the country anyway.

Who said Hobie 16 sailors should support a new class??

As I recall, there was no Wave Class and Hobie didn't want anything to do with starting a Wave Racing class. It was Rick and Mary who hosted the first Wave Nationals, and they got several Hobie Dealers to comit to charter some new Waves, and then sell them after the first Nationals at a discount to get the class going.

Unless Rick/Mary or someone else do the same for the Getaway, I doubt there will ever be a true racing class for it, but as was said, if you have one, bring it to any Hobie regatta and they will let you race...if you are a Hobie Class member I guess.

We're getting angry again.
First of all, relative to other sailing machines (E Scow for instance) the Hobie (of any flavor) is a drop in the bucket price-wise.
Second, there are Getaway sailors gathering at www.hcspace.org and shooting the **** there about doing some racing/social stuff. We have a few new guys in Northern Wisconsin and a few in South Dakota that want to race Getaways too.
Just get 3 or 4 boats together and go to a regatta, you'll love it and you can start that way. No need to get angry or imply that someone has no testicles.......
Again, with the membership thing: We prefer to have class membership participation as to lessen the amount of liability taken on with the coverage of the policy that we purchase. Also, I find it pretty unlikely that I would be welcomed to sail in a Official Laser regatta with out being an Official Laser Class Member. Or any other class for that matter.

Thanks for the insights.

Guess the E in my sig has prompted the comparisons. Yeah, it is not a cheap recreational boat but this one has been in the family since '83 (used) and is now just a fun ride and no longer competitive.

It' always interesting to watch who gets excited by these types of debates.

which is better than no one caring.

spoken in a grovelish piratesque voice;

"I poop on your idea!"

Well

No one is reporting that a new group of Getaway sailors approached a NAHCA regatta about racing and were refused a race. So there does not seem to be an organized class trying to get starts at regattas.

When you ask... why not a Getaway class... Who are you asking?

The next suggestion was that the builder and the dealers would do the work to generate a Getaway racing class. But the builder and dealers have clearly limited their role to just supporting racing classes of their boats. It's been that way for years and years.


The news that the NAHCA and the Wave class have harmonized their schedules and rules was recently reported.

So that leaves the obvious inference that "why not a getaway class" is pointing to the NAHCA. Supposedly the NAHCA will get out there and support the idea of FORMING and SUPPORTING a Getaway Class. Since the NAHCA is driven by a few of the dedicated Hobie 16 class members. .... (The NAHCA Class meeting is held at the Hobie 16 NA's for years and years...)
The question.. why not a Getaway Class is addressing the Hobie 16 leaders of the NAHCA. (Xanderweiss is the current NAHCA pres and obviously feels that he should respond to the question).

So that was my point... Why would you want the Hobie 16 class to build a Getaway class!

In the real world... a new class rounds up 5 boats and approaches a regatta organizer (NAHCA Club or Yacht Club) and says... Please sir.... can we have a start for our lowly little class... we won't cause any trouble... drink too much beer or chase too many of your women ... oh... and we read the rules and won't hit anyone!
Fact of the matter.. the NAHCA club or Yacht club usually says YES.


if you just want the short hand version...Read what Ding said!

You are aware the Wave class did it completely on their own without Hobie support, right?

Besides there is a LOT to be said for not getting in bed with the manufacturer.

Besides what's in it for Hobie to promote the rotomolded boats as race platforms? They sell those things by the truck load already.

Could you clarify that statement for me please? I apologize, I'm a little slow.

J

yes J you are slow.

Obvious inference?

Paranoid much?

$7,200 in 2006 = $7,540.82 in 2009

http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl

I've heard it said that whenever two sailboats are in close proximity, a race is inevitable. The start of class racing is when two of the same boats meet.

All it takes to organize a Getaway class is for SOMEONE to organize it, be it Hobie or Joe Getaway-sailor. You write down whatever rules you want, and encourage others to jump on the bandwagon. If you get enough attention, things become recognized, and it grows more.

That's what happened with the Wave class, and it has grown to the point that NAHCA said "Okay, you're for real; let's work together."

Before I bought my Wave, I had dropped out of class racing because I wasn't very good, and it wasn't much fun for me. The Wave is a fun boat on its own, single-handed or with a few friends on board, so I didn't miss racing. But when the opportunity came to join other Waves for a regatta across town, I gave it a try. I still wasn't very good, but I had a good time. Most of the races I go to are "fun" races, so not much pressure. Some people take it more seriously, and that's okay.

But personally, I do still prefer day-sailing to racing.

AVG price of oil in 2006= $61.37
AVG price of oil in 2008= $99.65

Polyester resin is derived from petroleum. Cross bars are smelted using petroleum. Tramps and sails are made with petroleum. Not to mention transporting this stuff all around the country/ world.

Oil should have been $64.28 in 2008 according to the posted calculator. I feel cheated

J

You are cheated. We all are.

Hello IndyWave

You remind me that that is how I also got started racing... It was all about chasing the guy who pushed off the beach before me. Informal racing is great fun!

There is also a lot more to the racing game then chasing boats down and you appreciate how interesting the game can be when you go to a formal regatta. Stuart Walker, a prominent sailing author, who still races Solings and he fully appreciates sailors like your self; Sailors who enjoy the game but finish well down in the standings. His club always worked at keeping the last place sailor a full and respected member of the fleet.... his point... if the last place guy leaves... you have a new last place guy... and the next sound you hear is the great flushing sound! So racing can be less about the boat and where you finish and all about the class. It's also great fun to learn the formal racing game so you should not miss it!

Keep in mind that a regatta organizer has several factors to consider when they offer a start to a class.
1) Can the class sail to the race course in a reasonable time and is the parking lot big enough to hold more boats?
2) Can the PRO run the new class on the course without impacting the regattas existing classes. Many dinghy classes don't want more then three classes on the race course so that the racing goes efficiently. They vote with their feet if their racing experience suffers so the OA wants to get it right for everyone.
3) On a catamaran race course the wave's want a slightly different race course and the OA needs a few more resources to make it work (See recent discussion on tradewinds regatta for an idea of all of the considerations that Rick White is taking into account.
4) If they purchase the trophies... will the class show up in the numbers promised. No club likes to see unused trophies that they have to carry away and store or toss out ... nor do they want to give three trophies out to a fleet of three boats!

The term class means much much more then the fact that everyone has the same kind of toy. Class is as much about the community! Good luck finding that guy in your area who can organize your waves into a good local class and work out all of the above with a club to formally go racing. It's lots of fun!

Seems like racing will get big popular again when there is a good simple boat to rally around for the beginners. Boat ownership has gotten harder, IMO.

Compared to powerboating the costs aren't bad, though. There are marinas chock full of hot powerboats. An outboard motor on new powerboats alone are in the $6K range. With the Wave, Rick and Mary seem to have the Hobie instinct for what makes things click.

Do the expert racers (with their "proprietary knowledge" of the cats) turn their noses up at the Wave at regattas or not?

hell no - one of the best nationals i've ever been to. is it presumptuous to think you were talking to me?

Hey John

I've asked this question before and not gotten an answer.
Why is the wave a good race boat? Seems to me it's less fun then a laser because in a race of slow boats... you want to be able to tack quickly... eg the laser. What's the feature that makes racing a wave fun? I am all about the rule that God made the trapeeze for smart people to not have to hike!