I think everyone is taking the number of boats produced incorrectly as $ other Hobie manufacturers did not put there figures on the web site.
I seem to remmeber that ISAF provided these numbers in 2003. There was a thread about it on this forum.
Yes it beat all these modern design in a windward leeward race.
That is why is sails of a rating that is 10%-18% slower than these modern boats.
Just 2 years also the standard Hobie 16 won Round Texel race, the biggest catamaran race in the world. While the result was on handicap but the Hobie 16 beat many of these “modern” boats across the finish line.
You should have said that !
You are arguing with the guy that collected all this race data.
I think we have a case of faith based intelligence here.
*****
Texel 2003 result
Elapsed time (=beating ... across the finish line) = Peter Vink and Sven de Laaf sailing a Tornado
Handicapped : Darren Bundock and Will Howden sailing a Hobie Tiger
The first Hobie 16 (Onno Schuitema, Sacha de Boer) finished 50 minutes later as 141th on elapsed time and were handicapped to 21th still needing to improve on their result by over 20 minutes to come out as 1st.
A FAR cry from winning the Round Texel that year.
*****
Maybe Texel 2004 ?
Elapsed time (=beating ... across the finish line) = Hans Bouscholte and mr. Wieren sailing a Eagle 20 carbon + spi
Handicapped : Mitch Booth and Herbert Dercksen sailing a Hobie Tiger
The first Hobie 16 (Vincent Huntelman, Maghielse) finished 40 minutes later as 169th on elapsed time and were handicapped to 17th still needing to improve on their result by over 11 minutes to come out as 1st.
****
An interesting detail is that they (H16) were beaten by a Spitfires both in handicapped results as elapsed results.
Another interest detail is that I know both Hobie 16 crews personally as they were fellow club members of mine. I even know their dads as well, done RC work with them. All good people. I also know that Vincent Huntelman sailed a Hobie Fox and Tiger in most Dutch races. I think Onno Schuitema is still doing the Hobie 16 thing.
But anyway I think we have throughly disproven any recent Hobie 16 win at round Texel. If you statements on ISAF races is just as dependable than .....
The largest multihull world championships last year was again the Hobie 16.
Both the Dart 18 World and Formula 18 worlds had more boats competing. Even the A-cats had more boats at their worlds.
So how exactly do we measure the size of an event. I know hobie worlds use the round Robin system with 60 supplied boats, but still what makes an event the biggest ? The number of holliday sailors that sign in or the number of true racers that go through the effort of shipping their own boat and gear to an event.
We would do well to consider two very important things :
-1- The F18 worlds had a cut off limit at 150 boats as has had all F18 events since 2002. So there could have been more crew participating.
-2- How many sailors would be attracted to the F18 worlds when THESE used the round robin system with supplied boats ? How many H16's crews would enter their Worlds if they had to own and ship their own gear.
Facts are the Hobie 16 is still the most popular multihull in the world both racing and recreationally.
Is it, truly ?
Now ISAF want to replace the boat with a boat that less than 10 have been produced world wide. Unless they including the SL15.5 as the SL 16 to get their numbers.
The choose the SL16 partly because of the reason that all SL15.5 could be upgraded to SL16 by replacing the rig on the SL15.5's. At least that is whay I understood. Apparently their are 600 SL15.5 in the youth classes around. While I don not agree with everything ISAF has done this seems like a smart move.
And I really don't think that 130.000 H16's that are in the graveyard makes any difference what so ever.
Whether you like the Hobie 16 or not the facts are there
This has nothing to do with liking or not. It has to do with facts and clearly your statements do not square with facts.
and if people took off their biased hats and looked at multihull sailing and getting youth involved it most be the cheap, available boat. That still remains at present the Hobie 16.
Go to the F16 forum and check up on the 2004/2005 European Hobie 16 prices. You will find a very disturbing fact. That a competitive H16 WITH SPINNAKER will cost a European between 11.844 (Absolutely bare) and 17.467 Euro's (the fully upgraded one). That isn't cheap by anybodies standard. It is also more expensive than "these modern boats"
Even the totally bare orginal H16 design (single trapeze etc) will set you back some 11.000 Euro's; but it is anybodies guess how this one will hold up against fully upgraded 12.000 to 17.000 H16's. (I also thought this was a one-design class were all boats were the same ?)
These price come of the French Hobie price list for 2004/2005. So these are facts !
Several modern 16 footers including the SL16 (11.000 Euro's) are cheaper than the H16+spi.
With regard to availability ; what does Hobie USA feel about a spi on the H16's ? Is the US youth championship with the same setup as the ISAF youth worlds ?
This is all generally available data on the web. Many would call these facts.
You are obviously very happy with the H16's and that is just great. But no amount of happy feelings will change these verifiable facts. You may choose not believe then, that is alright. But that doesn't make your right, or make me wrong.
Sorry,
Wouter
