mcoastie wrote:
Hobie killed the class, no parts available, with-in price reasoning.
Hobie did in fact quit producing the Hobie 20 in 2007.
HOWEVER - Hobie does still provide parts for Hobie 20s. Replacement hulls and masts are the only things you can't buy from a Hobie dealer, and even those become available from time to time on the used market. I bought a 1997 model four years ago and replaced virtually everything on the boat with parts purchased through Mariner Sails, the Dallas Hobie dealer. Their site is
http://www.mariner-sails.com/. Surf their site and you'll find parts diagrams for every Hobie to include the 20. If you order by noon, they'll typically ship your parts anywhere that afternoon. As with all sailboats, parts aren't cheap, but I can't imagine that Tornado parts would be any less expensive and certainly not easier to find, especially since many of them are custom built.
But I stick by my previous post, if you are "a bit new to sailing", neither the H20 nor the Tornado is the right boat for you. I urge you to consider the simple-yet-plenty-fast-enough Hobie 16.