We certainly remember that! There is a fleet of Nacra 15s being shipped around in a similar fashion, but without the formal program or publicity.

US Sailing is also trying something similar (but borrowing local boats), and providing coaches. Try it Out is the new program.

There isn't an organized path from there. If kids like the boat, what do they do next? Single-boat sailing, even with coaching, is not going to satisfy anyone. They need consistent fleet racing opportunities.

Mike

should any new youth feeder program carry the IOC edict for mixed gender teams?

It seems the two Opti programs I recently observed were dominated by girl sailors. Having the mixed gender teams on multihulls as they move to different boats might keep at least some of them?

Gordy, Fast and Fun is alive and going strong in Seattle. See www.sailsandpoint.org. This year 60 outreach programs using our 12 Hobie Waves. Glad to see you back on the H-18 for the Alter Cup. First time we raced with you was at Lake Whatcom, WA H-18 North Americans, 1982? Caleb and Tom Tarleton.

Don't forget the Hobie 17 for single non spin. Strong event H-17 North Americans with the Alter Cup this year. Talk of returning to the Gorge or Cascade Locks on the Columbia River for the Alter Cup in 2017. Large fleet of H-17's in the Northwest, anxious to see that happen.

From what I've seen, the programs are gender-neutral. Mark reported that the girl sailors were doing a better job than the boys on the cats at the MD Try-it-Out.

The work being done in Seattle and Saratoga are the shining examples to follow. If we could find a way to replicate those programs nationally, we'd be golden.

Mike

Well, I will postulated that th kids are no different here than there. So it must be something else... parents? organizers? climate? Coriolus effect? Lead Pipes?

I got over 70 very talented kids out sailing Nacra 15s at the following clubs this summer. The pool of kids is out there. It has NOTHING to do with college sailing or what is currently being sailed in Junior Sailing. All we need to do is tap into the kids that are out there sailing in the junior sailing world and show them that there is another way. It won't be for everyone, but if we pick up some then we have invested in the future of catamaran sailing and to me that is the best thing that I feel can ever happen. I've put no pressure on anyone to buy a boat but I'm of course encouraging it if they express interest and trying to get them involved in multihull sailing of any form afterwards.
A little bit thrown off by Mike's comment about the PR... woud have loved to do more but it was a grassroots effort funded by Nacra to get kids exposed to high performance multihulls. I tried my best to publicize it on Facebook, but I realize not everyone else is on there. I need to do some other press releases but it's tough being a one man show. Any support from the Cat Sailing scene would be great but to be honest $ is the biggest road block for getting it to more clubs, I can't drive it hundreds of miles from one club to another and still make it affordable. Probably why the Fast and Fun died on the West Coast.
I'm also doing a 3 day clinic for some teams this weekend in Newport and have the U.S. Sailing Youth Development Director coming down to check it out and getting about 16 more kids out before the trailer heads to Florida for the Youth Multihull National Challenge. I've also been working hand in hand with US Sailing Olympic Development Program and the 15 will be involved in this program very soon.
This is in Lieu of the multihull class being sailed at the US Sailing Youth Champs and because the Aurthur Stevens Trophy was not given away there it can't be given out this year, trust me I tried.
Yacht Clubs we did Nacra 15 demos at this summer:
Chicago Yacht Club
American Yacht Club
Roton Point Sailing Association
Norwalk Yacht Club
East Greenwich Yacht Club
Sail Newport

-Todd Riccardi
Nacra North America

That wasn't a slam, Todd. You simply didn't have the program-level PR that Fast and Fun did. Maybe over the winter, you can build a formal campaign to grow on the success of this year.

Mike

Todd, are the kids you got sailing connected to your FB page?

Could your kids/boats be lured to some of the local regattas? Or is that where you were doing it anyway?