Where to start... here are the key points

October 15, 2003 - The hammer comes down - IHCA Letter:
IHCA send letter to NAHCA advising them they can no longer permit open class/x-class boats in NAHCA events. It is not in compliance with IHCA rules and consitution. IHCA Letter...

NAHCA has the option to request a change to the consitution and rules to allow open class boats.

If the NAHCA does not request a change, and chooses to comply with the directive of the HCA, then NAHCA must provide a plan to IHCA on the phase out.

The NAHCA phase out plan must include several IHCA imposed conditions, specifically;
The plan must terminate by December 31, 2004.

• Open Class boats permitted to participate under a phase out program will be restricted only to boats that have previously participated in a Hobie event prior to August 1, 2003 i.e Only Skipper and boat combinations that were raced in Hobie events prior to August 1, 2003 will be permitted to race in any 2004 Hobie event.
• No new Open Class boats will be permitted to participate.
• Skippers of all Open Class boats eligible and desiring to participate in this phase out program will be required to obtain IHCA or Regional Annual Membership for 2004.

October 24, 2003 - Hobie Cat president Doug Skidmore writes letter to NAHCA: HCC Letter...

"Hobie Cat Company is in full agreement with this change in policy for NAHCA, and we are prepared to help where needed."

Interesting comments in this letter...
"...especially considering some recent developments associated with open class boats."

"However, there have also been indications in the past few months that make us question our continued support of NAHCA and regattas; i.e., the decision to allow open class boats and the effect that decision has had on the Hobie Class."

January 25, 2004 - NAHCA finally informs the public and membership, compliance - NAHCA Letter:
Rich McVeigh writes letter to the public and membership advising of compliance to IHCA's request. NAHCA Letter...

To be a sanctioned regatta the host will have to comply with IHCA class rules and constitution. Specifically, non-Hobie Cat boats will not be able to participate in Hobie class sanctioned regattas.

Additionally these organizations will no longer be able to utilize the Hobie Cat name, the NAHCA name or Hobie Cat trademark in their Notice of Race or event advertising.

"Many yacht clubs offer dinghy regattas, at these regattas Lasers may be one of several dinghy classes invited to participate. I believe this is the direction we will now be moving as well."

Why the name change?
"One of our focuses in the coming year is promotion of the Hobie class - and changing our name is the starting point. Currently, the name NAHCA is not one that is easily identifiable in the sailing community. So in the coming weeks you will begin to see the name "Hobie Class Association" being used. We believe this shortened version is more easily understood and more identifiable with the class."

So what happened, and what does this all mean?

Why did it take so long for events to transpire? How come the Division chairs were the last to know and only knew just before the news release January 25, 2004?

Investigations found out that a west coast sailor had purchased an A class and was convincing local Hobie sailors to purchase this A class boat and race it at NAHCA events in open class, causing a reduction in local Hobie Cat boats racing. This was the last straw, for IHCA and the wheels went into motion. Realistically, though, it was just a matter of time before this happened.

What about our orphan Hobie Cat's that race in open class now? What happens to them?
It looks like the HCA is dropping support for these boats. This would mean that in our local area of Canada, we would be down to one start, Hobie 16, and maybe enough to have a Hobie Tiger start, depending on US racers coming to our event.

In Toronto, 54% of our open class at our local in 2003 were Hobie Cats, and these are typically Hobie 17, Hobie 18, Hobie 20, and sometimes Wave, Getaway and Hobie 21. In fact our numbers show that since 2000, when we started tracking open class numbers, we have had a steady increase in the Hobie Cat participation in open class. What will happen to these Hobie cat racers.

The IHCA, and therefore HCA criteria for compliance in 2004 is extremely difficult to uphold and manage. We also have new racers of orphan Hobie Cats that want to join our fleet in 2004, what do we tell them? Can they race or are they not allowed?

I am sure that some of these questions will be answered in the weeks to come, we are taking a wait and see attitude for the moment, and progressing as planned. At this time all our Notice of races have already been submitted to the Division booklet, and various publications and web sites. It would be quite onerous to start making changes at this late date.

We work hard for a living, this is our "fun' thing. Our sport has had a decline, for many reasons... not enough encouragement of new sailors, not enough easy means of introduction for youth sailors, an aging demographics that has moved on to bigger boats with no-one filling in the holes, it is not as trendy a sport as it once was, we have lost some of the fun and family focus. There are many more reasons, of course.

My personal mission is to promote catamaran sailing, to introduce more people to the sport and ensure that they have fun doing it. I believe we will find a happy medium and good quality fun racing will continue.

Letter from the editor