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PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 11:42 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2019 10:33 pm
Posts: 9
Location: Charleston, SC
Seriously looking at re-entry into Hobie Cats after decades.
Original was new H14 number 2800 when I was a young teenager.

Looking around now, I don't see a high performance oriented singlehander in production in the US. :?:
Why not? (No, it ain't the Getaway.)

I would stick an H17 rig on a T2 with wings and add a bowsprit for a light air asymmetrical or hooter.
Hmmm... I wonder if such a Frankenstein is possible. :idea:


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 9:57 pm 
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Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:05 pm
Posts: 236
Location: New Hampshire
The high performance singlehander cat is the A cat. I don't think any are made in the US. The Hobie 14 is still raced in the US. I'm not sure there are any other boats with enough boats to provide competition, except maybe within a local fleet.

One design boats need enough boats to make a competitive fleet to be worth investing in. Formula boats, like the A cat, requires a manufacturer to continually update its boats as improvements are made to the class. Finding a market for either in the US is difficult. There just aren't enough people interested in the sport to justify the expense.

Jim Clark-Dawe


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 6:31 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
Posts: 2763
Location: High Point, NC
Even with an A-Cat, you'll have to travel to find good competition and races. Even the A-Cat sailors remain few and far between.

On the other hand, buy a Hobie Wave and you'll have other Wave sailors all around you. They're everywhere and given that the boats are identical, racing is racing. No, the Wave isn't as fast at the A-Cat or the H17, not even close, but again, if all the boats are equal, racing is racing.


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2019 6:14 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
Posts: 5197
Location: Detroit, MI
The Hobie 14 is still very much alive. New boats are being made in France and are available in the US for about $8-10K. The 2018 North Americans in Syracuse, NY had 35 boats and the 2019 NACs had 25 boats. Used boats are very affordable (~$1000) and competitive boats from the mid-80's are still around for not much more (although a new sail, trampoline, rudders and rigging will set you back another $2K). Many competitive 14 sailors have it as their second boat with a 16 as their "other" boat.

The Hobie 17 is also around, although it's been dwindling since going out of production in the late 2000s. The North Americans will typically draw 15 - 25 boats. At this point, we all know each other and pre-plan what events we go to - Midwinters, Madcatter, North Americans are on most everybody's calendar. There are concentrations in the mid-Atlantic, upper Midwest and Pacific NW. Again, it tends to be a second boat. Used boats are cheap; new class legal sails are ridiculously expensive and are short-lived.

The Wave is popular because of it's simplicity and relative weight insensitivity. They are not all the same - the hulls are, but for example, there are at least three different rudder systems, and the current one is not the preferred one for racing. There's also a split in the class between the "Hobie Wave" (all OEM parts) and the "Formula Wave" (mostly OEM parts; the big difference is the sail/battens). But everyone has fun, that's the important part.


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:27 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 2:28 pm
Posts: 91
Location: Chicago
Hey man, welcome back into the fold!

I don't get the impression that it's all about racing for you. My friends and I single hand our H16s and love it. We don't race (formally) although any time there's 2 boats near each other it's a race if we're being honest. I don't go out in 5' waves or when it's blowing 20+ as I get more cautious in my 60s. Otherwise, I can trim the boat and tack better by myself than with crew these days.

_________________
1989 H16
2009 H16 squaretop


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 5:47 pm 
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Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2019 10:33 pm
Posts: 9
Location: Charleston, SC
I.P. Freely wrote:
Hey man, welcome back into the fold!

I don't get the impression that it's all about racing for you. My friends and I single hand our H16s and love it. We don't race (formally) although any time there's 2 boats near each other it's a race if we're being honest. I don't go out in 5' waves or when it's blowing 20+ as I get more cautious in my 60s. Otherwise, I can trim the boat and tack better by myself than with crew these days.


You are correct. I'm done with my racing days (I think), but there's still that need for speed. I just picked up a 1993 H17 Sport in excellent condition. I intend to make modifications. I will eventually try a T2, but not with the stock rig. There is a post on the Hobie T2 forum where a T2 was fitted with H16 sails. I've got plenty of ideas.

_________________
Rick Whitehurst

H14 #2800


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 07, 2020 7:59 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 12:07 pm
Posts: 9
Congrats on the h17.

I've owned a h17 sport for 5 years and it's a blast to sail solo.
Super comfy wing seats and can be managed up to about 20-25 knots of wind no problem solo.

I upgraded to a h18 with sx wings as at my club everyone has hobie 18s, which makes for fun club racing!

I also solo my h18 no problem, but as the wind approaches 20knts it becomes a handful and anything over 20 I dont go out alone.

I say enjoy your h17 as is, the rig is very friendly, fast and well balanced, dont mess with it.


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