Mary,

Any idea why? is this a money reason?

Jr

I confess, I asked our friends in La Baule, France to host a regatta for kids using the SL16. They agreed to host and I plan to offer a US team the opportunity to go and compete. Details aren't worked out yet but you can bet they will be soon.

The whole thing started at the Catagolfa Regatta last year. Our winning team of Mike Siau and Sam Ingham were offered a trip to France to sail in this fun event using a new SL16. You might recall they won the US SAILING Youth Championship at Panama City, Florida in 2005. For those of you who have been to Club Nautique de La Baule you know what a wonderful setting it is for Multihull sailing. Anyway, Our gracious hosts agreed to some kind of event so kids could start getting the experience of sailing SL16's in preparation of acceptance by ISAF of the new class and equipment for future world youth events.

Bye the way, Mike and Sam came in 4th in class at Catagolfa. Not bad for a team that couldn't read the French sailing instructions and had to navigate around many Island rather then a traditional course. Not ones to sit around they boarded a plane for South Africa to the Hobie Worlds. So these kids had a full summer.

The new name of the game is opportunity for kids. Our US kids should take heed. US SAILING will have a championship this summer (details yet to come). Get in shape, get ready, get charged, it'll be a different world tomorrow.

The Singapore boat was sold to someone in Indonesia for those that care.

Best regards,
AJS

Art, I'm glad to see that you are watching this forum. That's a heck of a teaser in your post. Should I guess that Performance Catamarans is going to make a bunch of SL 16's that will be used in the US Sailing championship event you referred to?

From the website
2006 Championship
July 6 -9, 2006 - Registration July 5, Clinic July 6, Racing July 7-9
Hosted by: St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club
Location Panama City, FL
Local Chair Donna Nelms-Robinson
Boats Hobie 16
National Chair Art Stevens

Now if we realy want to promote youth sailing how about finding Mike a Hobie 16 for Tradwinds

H20 Sensations,
Of course, it is a money problem. But it is a money problem for manufacturers, not individuals.

The way I figure it, if Vanguard were building and backing a youth catamaran, there would be catamarans in the yacht club programs and in the Junior Olympic Festivals.

Mary,

do you have any idea why the ISAF is not selecting multiple companies to produce a 16 feets cat like for other series (420, optimist, Tornado...). Why should this boat should created by one single company? Any background for my "Culture"...

Thanks,
jr

Just to confuse matters a little more (seen at the 2006 London BoatShow):



Topper were advertising the boat as the "new ISAF youth cat"

Note the ISAF logo on the sail: