Please don't misunderstand me. The "not joking" part refers to the number 50, not to any threat or anything. I guess my earlier post is indeed open to multiple intepretations, sorry about that.

For the remainder I agree with Paul Warren. This discussion (and comparison between SL16 and F16) is just plain silly. The real interesting part is whether these new develpments have helped youth sailing or not. I think brandnames and boat types are irrelevant in that.

Wouter

Hey Wouter has perhaps set a thought in motion, have an olympic class for Dad and nipper, nipper has to be no older than 18 and dad can be as old and gnarly as he likes, the girlies will get all upset but why not mum and nipper, everybody will be equal, best family wins the olympic gold medal for SL16's.

I have said this before but I'll say it again. 49er sailers started on Optis or whatever when they were 5, 6 and 7.
That is where the choices start, cat sailing needs a small no trap boat in the Olympics to aim at ( against the Laser) and a tiny 7 year olds start up boat. If it doesn't start there then it will always be trying to convert half boat sailors.
Cat clubs would have to invite the youngies into the fold with club owned boats and uncomprimising dedication to the next generation.

I totally disagree. I think monohulls are the place for kids to start.

Robi,
You are the man!

What's the platform weigh anyway?

and min. crew weight?
<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Just to clarify the status of that particular statement Ken, can you please tell us where and from whom you heard this opinion?

I have asked around and it is not an opinion held by Topper in the UK (they will be supplying UK SL-16s) and yet the UK is probably one of the key countries for uptake of such a design.

I am therefore somewhat confused as to why anyone should choose the F16 as a benchmark over, say, the H16 or Dart 16 or Hobie Dragoon? Furthermore, I can't see the attraction of paying more than the price of a current F16 for a boat that's slower and almost 40Kgs heavier.

Nah, I think someone's been pulling your chain Ken......

Mary, I'm surprised at this statement. Beyond the fact that most parents are attached to monohulls, it seems as though learning on monohulls leads a youngster to sailing them as a regular course of activity and then the young sailor's path is now set (except for a chance encounter with multihulls and subsequent conversion because of their speed). Wouldn't Waves be a good place to start?

David

It's an interesting question.

I learnt to sail on monohulls when I was a kid. I did a few 1 week RYA courses. One of the main things I remember about them was always trying to get onto a faster boat: a laser rather than a topper, a laser full-rig rather than radial, or a laser 2 not a laser. After the last of those courses I then didn't sail for around 10 years until a friend took me out on his Dart 18.

The Toppers and Lasers were really good boats to learn on, but what I lacked was any clear idea of where I wanted to get to. I daresay that had I been out for a joy-ride on a cat or a fast wobbly half-boat during those courses there would have been a lot more pressure on the parents to do more sailing when I got back. So I think that a sailing program that concentrat on teaches people to sail in oppies/toppers/lasers is fine, but it needs to be combined with some experience of what they could sail if they stick at it, and there must be plenty of kids out there who have my "the faster the better" attitude and who'd love a ride on a cat.

Paul

See www.sailsandpoint.org. To grow a multihull program, you need to have both the small monohulls to start on, then Waves and Hobie 16's as they progress. We have about 60 boats including Opti's, Lasers, FJ's, Club 420's, Waves and now five donated Hobie 16's. My Grandson, Dan started on the Wave, but really learned to sail after a couple of days on an Opti. They need to feel the quick response, that only a small monohull can provide. The five Waves we have contiune to be the most popular boats in the open sailing program. Last year, we added the Hobie 16 to the Youth and Adult classes. We also have monday night racing to help build the racing programs for all boats. The key to any program is the instructors and volunteers. Since we did not have an instructor for the Hobie 16's, Jerry Valeske, our HCA Div.4 Chair, stepped forward, took the US SAILING Level 1 Instuctor Course, and taught our classes this year. He volunteered teaching the classes, on his own time, in addition to his full time day job at Boeing.
Dan will return to Sail Sand Point this summer for his fourth year, and is looking forward to taking Jerry's H-16 Class. He has raced the Wave the past two years, but is now ready to move up to the H-16.
Caleb Tarleton