Hi,

I've been to many, many boat shows in the last 15 to 20 years and am disappointed in the steady decline of beach catamarans at these shows. I know the market's been dwindling, and not much profit is derived from the sale, as a result. However, I still feel better representation should be made at the shows.

I had a few ideas on how to do this that would possibly alleviate the burden on individual dealers and even the manufacturers. One idea was to have the most recent organizing body of catamaran sailing, NAMSA, to sponsor a booth and have individuals (like myself) who have late model, excellent condition catamarans, display their own boat. Not for sale or anything, just something to turn heads, attract would-be cat sailors and promote the sport in general. Maybe add a PC with some footage of past Worrell 1000's, Olympic Tornadoes., etc. Have Catsailor magazine, Multihull Magazine and other publications available too.

It's probably too late to do this for the Fall shows.

I have a 2002 Hobie FX-One that always turns heads and elicits questions wherever I go, especially the younger crowd (10 to 18 year-olds). It's a beautiful and interesting boat and should be seen by as many potential catamaran sailors as possible. My previous Nacra's, and I'm sure many others, do the same. I'd be willing to bring my catamaran to a Hobie booth, or any other at the upcoming shows. It would be essentially a volunteer thing to promote the sport. Possibly NAMSA and/or some of the manufacturers could contribute for minor expenses (tolls, gas or hotel if overnight is necessary).

Just a thought. Let me know what you think.

Steve

Steve,

What's the cost of a booth at these shows?

I know at the Miami show a sailboat class association has usually been allowed to have a space free just to display their boat(s) and distribute information to people. The difficult part has always been finding people in the fleet to man the booth to answer questions, because most people have to take time off from work to do it. This is a non-commercial thing, not involving selling the boats and not involving a dealership -- it has to be the nonprofit class association.

I just contacted Sail America, the top-level organizer for most of these shows.
It's $250 with unlimited floor space for a Class Association, (such as Tornado, A-Class, Hobie, etc) and their boat, either on land or in the water - a GREAT deal. For a non-profit group, it's $1.00 per square foot - 1/6th of the normal rate. Or $100 for a booth (normally $825) plus a yearly membership fee of $50. (This is not supposed to be published info, so let's try to keep this on these web pages only!).
Right now there is room at Atlantic City Sail Expo. If NAMSA pays the bill and my tolls/gas/hotel - I'll volunteer my time, bring my boat there, be the booth attendant etc. I'd like some help with promotional stuff to hand out, PC's with mpegs running, etc - any other volunteers?

Is there a catamaran organization, fleet, or whatever willing to sponsor me for this? I think we (cat sailors) need to do something.

Steve

Steven,
I think there was a Hobie booth at Atlantic City last year. Maybe you should contat them about supporting you in putting your FX1 in the show.
David

Hobie is always very well represented at the Atlantic City Sail Expo each year. I may be wrong, but I believe that the show is the largest indoor sailboat show in the US. I have attended and helped my dealer at the show each of the last three years. The organizers have given Hobie the best spot in the show - right at the main enterance.

In 2002 the boats on display included an FX-1 (one of the first in US), Tiger, Getaway, Wave and Kayaks. In 2003 they had the 16, Tiger, Wave, Bravo, and Kayaks.

Last year Hobie offered boat shows specials with free accessories with purchases. I got $500 worth of accesories with my new 16. So I think Hobie is still spending a decent amount of marketing dollars on boat shows.

I know, that's where I bought my 2002 FX-1. If they don't have another FX-1 for this year, I'd be delighted to lend them mine to put on display - it still looks brand new without a scratch on it.

I was thinking of more of a unified catamaran representation trying to bolster the sport without actually selling anything (besides memberships or catsailor mag subscriptions...)

Steve

Hi Steve

Your point speaks to the debate of is cat sailing a Sport versus a Pastime and how do you market to those interested in the sport of sailing and persuade them to try a beach cat. Manufacturer long ago recognized that less then 10% of the boats sold are going to racers who compete in the sport of catamaran racing. Consequently boat shows are where these builders market the entry level and recreational boats. I don't know if this is fertile ground for recruiting cat racers.

I am not sure your good intentions will be productive. In fact we have had members do exactly what you are suggesting at events like the Volvo and Whibread festivals in Baltimore or at the Youth Sailing championships in Annapolis and the US Sailing show in Annapolis. Our take home has been... lots of work and time from members and nothing but casual interest by sailors in the class or sport of cat racing.

I think we need to refine our marketing message.
What are we going to market as the "sport of cat racing". Is it our existing structure of Paper clubs; Hobie fleets and CRAC or LICSA whose members trailer to a park for a weekend"??? Times have changed and I don't see a lot of steam behind this program. I certainly don't see us attracting new racers this way...

IMO, we should focus on joining or building clubs with mast up storage and racing programs like traditonal yacht clubs and market them!!! It seems to me that we must develop programs that attract other racing sailors to cats because we have a vibrant active racing program which also fits into peoples time constraints and life styles. We also need a program that captures a rec sailor and introduces them to the sport of racing and supports them as they learn the sport.

A couple of years ago you were in the process of getting such a facility going out there on Long Island.. Were you ever able to persuade our colleagues to join and support your efforts to grow the sport by keeping their boats there?

In my area I see two succesful models for growth,
I am extremely impressed by the quiet growth of the A class. These sailors are serious and commit to growing a club in a region by spending money. For instance the Bristol A fleet has managed an astoninhing 100+ starts this season! WRCSA has developed a Tuesday night open class racing fleet of up to 20 boats an evening in a bare bones facility.

The success in getting lots of racing going attracts racers from other classes and offers new sailors someplace where they can learn the sport. These clubs are also not marketing themselves to the rec sailor who wants a place to sail. (Thats a job for marina's and state parks)

Disclaimer... My personal focus is on the sport of cat racing... I certainly see the need for rec sailors who would like to form a more social club however I don't know of any eamples where such clubs are growing in this day and age.

Like every thing else, it is up to the interested people to step up and make it happen. In Hobie Cat Div 4 and Fleet 95, we have worked with our local Hobie Dealer, Hobie Cats Northwest to help at Boat Shows for years. We assist with the move in and set up, and also help man the booths. See the attached link for pictures at the Seattle Boat Show eariler this year. http://www.hobiedivision4.org/boat_show_2002.htm

Our local Non Profit Community Sailing Center, Sail Sand Point, www.sailsandpoint.org, also participates in local boat shows, often in conjunction with Sail America. Most of the Boat Shows will go out of their way to include Catamarans and Sailing Centers to boost attendance, quite often at a reduced cost. At The Boats Afloat Show last weekend in Seattle, the Hobie Cats Northwest booth was right at the entrance of the show. Sail Sand Point, in conjunction with Discover America had free sailing on their Hunter 140's at the show. As an example of what can happen, the North West Yacht Brokers Association, sponsor of the show has donated a new Hobie Cat Wave to Sail Sand Point. This is the second Wave donated, the first being purchased by a group lead by Laura Sullivan, Div 4 Chair, and 1st Vice Chair of NAHCA. It is up to you to make it happen.

Caleb Tarleton, Div 4 NAHCA, Fleet 95 and Sail Sand Point

Hi Caleb

Does your participation at the boat shows result in new racers or folks that come out and try cat racing at your invitation?

Take Care
Mark

Hi Mark, yes it does. We staff the shows with volunteers from the Hobie Cat Fleets. We have a Div 4 Handout that includes an application to join Fleet 95, a regatta schedule, which includes the Family Fun Events. Similar info is on the Div 4 webpage http://www.hobiedivision4.org/ By being at the shows we can answer any questions, and also assist the local dealer.

Probably the most sucessful efforts to build the Fleet and add racers has been Hobie 101 and 102 one day seminars held at Sail Sand Point. Laura Sullivan, 1st Vice Chair of NAHCA, and Div 4 Commodore, and Peter Nelson conduct this program. The programs are both classroom and on the water. The format uses parts of the Hobie University text used in the Guest Expert Program of NAHCA and the Rick White Seminars. See "Hobie Fleet Building" in the June-July-August issue of NAHCA News for more details.

Caleb Tarleton

Steve -
While living in Denver for almost twenty years I helped out with a couple of boat shows and displayed my Prindle 19 in two. The rules back then was the boat had to be new but they stretched the rule if your boat was in good shape. I think some people may of hit it on the head that they are selling the lifestyle more then cat racing. I like both but will not really travel too far anymore (since I belong to local yacht club where my boat is stored mast up) to race.
I used to travel 440 miles every other weekend to sail in Nebraska for at least ten years during the season. I think catsailors should think about joining yacht clubs and they might be pleasently suprised. The dealers should provide the boats, pay for the booth, and ask the help of the local fleets to help man the booth so people can get a good idea what the cat sailing / racing is all about.

Paul Nardone, Jr.

Hi Mark,

You are probably right about the ratio of work via good intentions vs. outcome. Maybe boat shows are not the best use of our dwindling free time and resources.

We did try the mast-up storage thing, but, to date, have not had any success through the state parks. As far as exisiting yacht clubs go, there are a few that might have facilities for mast-up storage further West on the Island, but none near me. Those clubs are very pricey with long waiting lists besides. Even my own yacht club ousted me when we lost most of our beach last winter due to many Nor-easter's. We had to make room for the youth program sunfish, which is the club's primary responsibility (and I am the rear commodore!).

But you are correct - Yacht club usage (or building) is the way to go. Let me think about what can be done in my area and I'll get back to you...

Steve

Hi Steve

Sorry to hear that your beach washed away... Haven't heard what the status is of my beach after the huricanne.

I think Caleb points to the only succesful strategy here.
They combined their local racing fleet with their community sailing center and taught basic cat sailing and some racing fundamentals. They offered a location (which centralized their activity) where people would go to find small boat sailing programs, Advertised a program that people wanted, (learn to sail a cat or race a cat). The result was new sailors and perhaps racers in the area.

Our existing group of trailer sailors has to bite the bullet and develop a central catamaran sailing club (s) (a fixed location where people can find you) which offers mast up storage. (In the age of condo's and townhouses... I don't know of many 20 to 30 somethings that can put a boat in the back yard) With a critical mass of racers on site// then you can develop a racing program. This will probalby mean giving up on some of the travel regattas that we now support. Once you have a weekly or twice monthly racing program with facilities and mast up storage availble (no matter what the cost) now you can market catracing to new racers and sailors who might want try racing.

This is a program that your local dealer(s) can help market and down the road we can market at sail festivals and similar events.

I just don't see new sailors getting into racing when faced with the lack of beach access in our areas, finding our racing group activities, finding a storage site for their boat, raising the mast, and figuring out the racing game without C fleets to support them.

The complaint of course is the cost of joining a club. You noted that they were "pricey in your area" Two clubs in the Annapolis area cost between 800 and 1500 per year. I don't think this is out of line for what we get. Hopefully we can grow Podickery into a viable racing club (like Galesville and the WRSCA in the future. Good luck with your efforts.

Mark

Caleb's strategy (boat show/local org. relationship leads to new sailors) sounds great BUT we are still waiting for local cat racing in Seattle.

Yes, we finally have local mast up storage for catamarans (in its 3rd or 4th year now) with limited launch access but there's no cat racing from the venue. The venue offers racing for dinghies but not cat racing. We ask and offer to help (with volunteers and financing) but no cat races. The storage facility and launch area are part of a mixed-used city parks development. According to the Seattle Parks department, the development is 5 - 7 years away from completion ... maybe longer. Cat races in 10 years?

So, sure the strategy sounds great but there's nothing local about it and the venue is not a cat friendly area.

With the economy still south, local cat sailors (and I'm sure other area sailors) are finding it difficult to afford the "travel trailer sailing schedule" for races.

Sorry but don't get your hopes too high. The Seattle situation is VERY, VERY much a work in progress.

Raceless in Seattle

BTW, we must have logged over 1,000 miles driving to races so far this year. We live 7 miles from our mast up storage facility. We drive to the storage, drop our mast, pack up and drive to races (at least 50 miles away and as far as 200). Doesn't sound local to me.

Dear Raceless:
Sorry you missed out on the local events. We started the season with a two day points NAHCA regatta in Kirkland, May 3 and 4. Hobie 101 Seminar May 10 and Hobie 102 June 14 at Sand Point Sailing Center, and twelve Friday night races on Lake Washington, sponsored by Anthony's Rest. and run by Seattle Yacht Club. All events at Sand Point, or just a few miles across the lake. True, we have not had Multihull Races at Sail Sand Point yet, but we are just building this program, which is primarly a learn to sail program, that does include beginner, Jr and Sr. High School and Adult Programs as described in the webpage www.sailsandpoint.org. We just had our second Hobie Cat Wave donated to Sail Sand Point, and the program will grow as more boats are added. The first Wave was donated by funds raised by our local Multihull Sailors. A racing program requires insurance, race committee, safety boats, clearance from the authorities, and a lot of local support. This will all come in time.

Caleb Tarleton

Raceless...

As a long time "member" of the sail center. I can say it is truly better than nothing. Before the center, there was no mast up storage, and little to no local activity (except the local Hobie regatta). Now there are Friday races (phrf only) and that could grow as well.

I do feel that with some more "pushing", we can get the city to act a little faster? But, there is that fine line to walk as well.

Every year just gets a little better!

Raceless, by now you should have received an invitation to attend the meeting on Oct. 8 at 7PM for the Storage/Access people at Sail Sand Point. Please attend and bring your concerns and comments. We welcome all recommendations to improve our Facility and Operation. By the way, we are meeting with the City today to discuss the plans for site improvement that are to start next year.

Caleb