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 Post subject: Re: Future TI Concept
PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 5:57 pm 
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Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:40 am
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Location: Blacklick, Ohio
That's OK with me if it's not next year as I probably wouldn't upgrade anyways (my '15 TI should be arriving shortly?), but it's always cool to see what you guys come up with.

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 Post subject: Re: Future TI Concept
PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:45 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2009 8:45 pm
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
How about a Hobie Bravo with an optional mirage-drive?

Also, how about a lighter A.I. with a slightly wider flared-bow - which I would've preferred in
the 2015 A.I. :-)

Mike.


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 Post subject: Re: Future TI Concept
PostPosted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:34 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
There is no doubt that the mirage drive system sets the AI/TI apart from anything else out on the water, currently and on anyone's drawing boards. Of all of Hobies sail boat line the bravo would be the easiest to add a mirage drive to. By making an oval cutout in the center, then adding an injection molded insert (from the inflatable line if kayaks) that holds the mirage drive. Hobie could sell an optional mirage drive add on option to the bravo if there was enough interest.
I suspect the reason a mirage drive option is not currently offered on any of Hobies sail boat lines is because I suspect there is zero interest out there, from my experience anyway there are two groups of people out there on polar opposite ends of the universe. You have the pure sailing guys who buy the h16's, waves, getaways, and bravos, etc. most of whom seem to follow the one design class system where adding things like mirage drives or any modification to the boats of any kind is totally taboo.
Now days you have a totally new crowd of what I call adventure recreational sailers who have a totally different perspective on recreational sailing, from what I gather most have very little interest in sailing in bunches around little bouys. One of the beauties of the adventure boats is they don't follow any of the strict class rules and every owner is totally free to modify their boats to whatever their hearts desire without fear of making their boats totally illegal, and most do, pretty much everyone adds tramps, HAKA's, fish finders, etc or anything they want to customize their adventure boat for what they want to do (there are no class rules of any kind on adventure boats). As a result the adventure type boats are used for a Mariad of other uses that were previously never dreamed of, things like family boating, exploring, camping, fishing, expeditions, etc. The sky is the limit and people are using these SUV's for new uses every day. In my opinion hobie invented a whole new class of people and a new generation of sailers and kayakers which is ten times larger than their strict one design sailing following that in my opinion peaked in the 80's (just my opinion). Keep in mind all the people at hobie love fun and sailing (by any means) this is why every mirage type kayak they sell is designed from the ground up as a very capable sailing machine (few owners even realize this).
Of course all of this is just my opinion and take on things. Obviously I'm not in the man vs sea pure sailing camp, I'm more from the kayaking (former powerboating camp).
My 2 cents
Bob


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 Post subject: Re: Future TI Concept
PostPosted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 8:24 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 10:22 am
Posts: 63
mmiller wrote:
We have a number of ongoing projects that might be the next big Island type product someday. We have been looking at higher performance sailing with aux MirageDrive support for some time now. Exciting stuff!


Bring back the Trifoiler!!!

...but put a Mirage Drive in it...
...and retail it under $1,000.00...
...and...


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 Post subject: Re: Future TI Concept
PostPosted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 9:10 am 
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Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2010 6:10 pm
Posts: 56
When I capsized my AI, the nose was the culprit. Had it been shaped to raise instead of diving, the boat would have remained upright. My advise is to avoid tall rolling waves in an AI ;)

I would give the AI a nose job. I'd give it a protruding bulge like on canoes.
Image

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http://miami2montreal.com
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 Post subject: Re: Future TI Concept
PostPosted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:34 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:40 am
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Location: Blacklick, Ohio
mmiller wrote:
We have a number of ongoing projects that might be the next big Island type product someday. We have been looking at higher performance sailing with aux MirageDrive support for some time now. Exciting stuff!


Matt,

Any chance that you guys are working on some Hobie developed accessories like rotomolded hakas, spray skirts, etc.? It seems like there are quite a few popular "home grown" accessories that people tend to add that I would think Hobie would be looking at as well. Obviously there is a market for them.

_________________
2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

  • Trampolines
  • Hobie cover
  • Davis Spar Fly
  • Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
  • Spine Board Hakas


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 Post subject: Re: Future TI Concept
PostPosted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:42 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
Posts: 15026
Location: Oceanside, California
TI_Tom wrote:
Matt,

Any chance that you guys are working on some Hobie developed accessories like rotomolded hakas, spray skirts, etc.? It seems like there are quite a few popular "home grown" accessories that people tend to add that I would think Hobie would be looking at as well. Obviously there is a market for them.


Certainly. We have had a prototype spray skirt for some time... they just have not made it to production due to a number of concerns. The haka idea keeps popping up. Just did again this morning. We would want them lite weight and allow the amas to fold with them in place I think. We have to consider safety of use, costs, distributor and dealer margins and ship-ability (hakas would be large).

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Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
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Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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