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The Tiwal might grow the sport if it weren't so bloody expensive. Same goes for the Red Beard inflatable catamarans.

All true. My point was in reaction to Xeon's characterization of UK sailing. Seems to me we are a few decades behind that trend. Clubs there adopted handicap racing out of necessity. Perhaps the same will happen here. I'm not so sure that US clubs are as flexible, and I'm not sure a change is...

I think they do, but most of them aren't aware of it yet. In the US the sailing boom was in the 70s (and the reason I learned to sail as a kid). Peak sailing was probably starting to end in the late 90s early 2000s. Around the 2010s there were still a good number of manufacturers to choose...

I think you'll find that any kind of handicap racing taking hold in the US would solve a lot of problems. The issue is not limited to lateen rigs. OD fleets have a tendency to eat themselves for a variety of reasons, but a big one is this cycle: - OD fleet starts aging out - A new guy comes...

In terms of performance I don't think it much matters, but in terms of expedience I would recommend 3, then 2, then 1. In terms of value I would recommend rehabbing a reasonably dry older hull acquired on the cheap (in the local Sunfish fleet there's a guy who sails a 50 year old boat...

I said those exact words to the Commodore of the local Rebel fleet 20 years ago. I was of course ignored. Today they are struggling to get 6 boats to show up for a race and the youngest skipper is in his 50s.

Because in some places it's the only widely available option if you want to go racing. I don't, that's why I bought a Rocket to have fun with, but if I wanted to race I have basically 2 choices - a Sunfish in my backyard or a Rebel 30 minutes away. Racers are a weird breed - they only want...