News & Views for Southern Sailors - Southwinds Magazine

Association (NAMSA), which sponsorsthe Trade Winds Regatta, isanother organization with a Floridafocus, but the local fleets have foundindependence and use of 1design.netto be a good way to operate.(Information about NAMSA is availableon www.catsailor.com.)Florida remains one of the mostactive areas for beach cat regattas,with at least one scheduled eachmonth throughout the year. When Division 8 affiliationended for the local fleets conducting all these regattas, so dida statewide acknowledgment mechanism for exemplary sailingskills and sportsmanship. Brian Karr took 1design.net’ssuccess to Harken Yacht Hardware and requested the company’ssponsorship for two annual trophies. One is for performancein designated distance races and the other for triangleraces. The “designated” races are those conducted by localfleets, often the same ones that were Division 8 “point races.”This strategy is an attempt to build participation for the localcatamaran associations’ events and to spread qualifyingevents geographically across Florida to allow convenient participationby sailors. Brian Karr is primarily responsible forthe Harken Race Series’ rules as the benevolent cyber dictator.But proposals for rules or rule changes are posted on1design.net by Brian, or race participants and discussed thoroughlybefore a decision is made. So far, open discussionleading to individual decision has worked very effectively.Think of the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain and you have agood idea how Brian operates in principle. Information aboutthe races and rules for the 2006Harken Series is available onwww.1design.net.In its 35 years of existence, thebeach cat sailing scene has shiftedlike the beach sands themselves. InFlorida, the impending changeshave at times seemed catastrophic.In a uniquely American way, acyberspace-enabled egalitarianismhas kept the sport thriving by legitimizingnew leadership with new ideas. This has been veryhealthy for this sailing niche. Will this strategy work as wellfor other sailing efforts? Probably, if the right people areinvolved and the timing is right.Writer’s note: I want to be sure I leave the correct impression from commentsin this article. NAHCA Division 8 made uncounted essential contributionsto beach catamaran sailing in Florida when it was most active.Many of its officers and members are now active in the efforts that replacedit. External circumstances that required a new organizing effort were largerand more complex than the resources the division had at its disposal tomitigate. Nothing in my story is intended as criticism of NAHCA Division8 or its leadership. The same intention not to criticize the Hobie CatCompany exists. The company and especially its local dealers continue togenerously contribute door prizes and other essential assistance to localregattas. Hobie Cat sailors, especially Hobie Cat 16 sailors, are avid supportersof and participants in the new open regattas. Routinely, Hobie 16classes are the largest or second largest single class in Florida catamaranregattas. My intention here is to describe an evolutionary, not revolutionaryprocess, that continues to uniquely shape Florida’s catamaran events.News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS October 2006 49