All this talk about joy sticks controlling the foil angles and bad sailing angles. I'd guess the "H" for Hobie Trifoiler (old technology? as DEAN says) still isn’t that bad, being "old technology". Patented “old” technology by the way.

The TriFoiler still holds the A Class World speed record at 50.1 MPH.

A Class Russell Long (USA) 43.55 knots July 1992 Tarifa, Spain

Speed Records

It is really easy to sail, kind of like driving a car... just steer. At 10 kts (of course on flatter water is easier) you can get up. If there is 10-12 kts you can hardly keep it off the foils. I have seen the Rave in windier conditions not even on the foils and when "on the foils"... more like dragging it's butt.

Greg (Ketterman) was out this weekend sailing a couple miles offshore of Long Beach Harbor. He was in 15-18 kts of wind, in rough water, and getting onto the foils sailing 60-70 degrees off head to wind… (going upwind). Once on the foils it sailed at 55-60 degrees and, he says, will do 50-55 degrees in optimum conditions (more wind and flatter seas). The VMG is still way better that most any fast cat. He sailed with Randy Reynolds on his 33’ and could pace him upwind... and do circles around him down wind.

From my own experience, the TriFoiler sails upwind at a lower angle than a Hobie 20, but way faster even with 2 people onboard, I was able to keep up with a fleet of 20's racing in rough water going upwind in Long Beach a few years ago. At the weather mark...Yikes!.. when we turned the corner... it was SCARY fast passing them at 2-3 times their speed and able to go much, much deeper! All without thinking about foil angles... it is all automatic on the Hobie TriFoiler.

Yes the TriFoiler is technical and not built like a Hobie 16, but it is made for speed right? It is still pretty rugged though. Most problems anyone has had has been due to rigging and handling errors as well as sailing in rougher and very windy conditions.

On this one, we did not try to accommodate the average sailor and all conditions as the Rave has tried to do. The Hobie TriFoiler is all about speed. If you want to sail displacement... sail a Cat.

There is some interesting history of the TriFoiler development on the Hobie Cat website at:

TriFoiler History

Here is a link to some arial video that shows the foil and sensor system at work:

Arial footage

Greg hasn't given up on foils yet. It is still his passion.