I noticed the Capricorn didn't fair too well compared to the Infusion and it was stated to me that the Capricorn's bow shape is more suited to lakes and the Infusion's big bows more suit the ocean. Is that a fair comment?
regards

If you're talking about the Worlds, I think you have to look at the results more closely - there were two Caps in the top 10 until the breeze really came up... as someone over 40 and feeling my age lately when racing against whippersnappers, I think the big air is when a bunch of points started getting added on. Goodall and Daniel were both putting up great results in the light to moderate stuff. Both are, shall we say, veteran competitors? Daniel was also sailing injured. I think that the proportion of Caps in the top 10 before the breeze really came on was about right considering the numbers of each design in the fleet.

Anyway, I'm not intending to offer excuses for one design over another. I think that most designs are on very much equal footing right now, with the team being the greatest factor in how a particular platform performs. The Cap has won Worlds against the Infusion... and vice versa. I'd also say that the Infusion (a fine design) has rider teams whereas the Cap does not.

John, I'd love to assume you're right. On the other hand, from the 'Big' Three' - Wildcat, Infusion and Capricorn - the latter one is the oldest design. Also thinking makes me the fact, that the star of the show in Belgium, the Shockwave, is not a wavepiercer-design.
I think, with the newer designs the superiority of the Capricorn has gone and AHPC should consider an update ...
Kai

AHPC as mentioned are not running any pro teams like NACRA and Hobie.

In AUS, the Capricorns have been dominating the results in a very good National fleet.

The Infusion can be pushed a little harder off the breeze due to the volume in the bow and is a bit more forgiving if you crew is a choker or the skipper is not quiet as attentive to waves. A Capricorn with a good crew that keeps an 'open' kite is lightning quick off the breeze and more so then an Infusion with a choked up kite. Both boats reward good sail trim (as all do)

The new Cap as mentioned will have a higher rear beam, just like the infusion. Our Cap occasionally slapped the rear beam in big breeze and waves. This will help the Cap for sure. Revision of the transom and the moving of the front beam may make the Cap a bit more forgiving off the breeze.

You throw the top 10 teams onto Caps and they definatley will not be any slower.

Cap is the "oldest" design? I guess you could hang your hat on that. Cap was designed in 2004, tested throughout 2005 and released in 2006. The Infusion was designed in 2005 and went straight to production in 2006. The Wildcat rumors started in 2007 and was announced in 2008 - not quite straight to production, but only had a few months of testing before the first boat was sold. Really, there's only a matter of months between them and all three incorporated very very similar design elements.

In any event, I think it's remarkable that we can have this sort of debate and still all show up at an event and race heads-up... where we frequently revisit the debate as soon as we get off the water. Pick your poison.

If older, just better for the Cap as is still up there racing one on one.

Some 'Martin' (Fischer?) speaks of 2001???? posted on the blog:

"The Capricorn was designed by Martin Fischer, who also designed recently the new Hobie Wild Cat. The original boat was designed in 2001, a pre-series with around 10 boats was built and the original design was slightly modified in 2003. The first boats of the final shape were presented at the Worlds in 2004 in Italy. The modifications of the design were also made by Martin Fischer in close collaboration with Jim Boyer and Greg Goodall."

hi jeff, for what it is worth, i've sailed/owned tigers and nacra f18's and infusion but when i took delivery of my capricorn it struck me how well it was built. definitely a class of it's own in mainstream f18 manufacturers. the buildquality made for a very stiff boat which, for me, made a big change in light winds. it is simple quicker than the others in light winds. and i agree that in strong winds with the kite up you have to be a bit more careful, but if you are it is as quick as the other cats. upwind i found it mostly quicker than the other f18's. i've not sailed against the shockwave nor wild cat though.

I'm finding the performance differences between the Cap and the Infusion to be very small to the point of not really being noteworthy. In the mixed crowd I run with we are as fast and may have a possible edge upwind but the Cap appears to be a bit quicker going downhill. But, that changes from weekend to weekend depending on how we feel that particular day and if Aquarius is in the second house. The biggest difference between us and the other teams is about 50 pounds of crew weight.

To even compare these boats is pretty pointless. I will say this though, when it comes to build quality the Cap is a step above the rest.

At the worlds the caps did definatley seem to perform better in the lighter to moderate winds, with several of them pulling out good results.

They seemed to struggle a bit more when the sea grew and the breeze got up (several races were raced in 30+knots).

The infusion seemed to be fine in most of the conditions.

I just took delivery on a, new to me, used Infusion and this weekend will be my first race on it. I have not even had it on the water yet.

I am really looking forward to the new boat but I have to say though I have missed my Tiger for the time that I had nothing to sail. She was a great boat to sail and I thought as fast as anything that I was sailing against. The reason I changed is to update to a newer, less sailed, boat. I was offered a good deal and sold my boat for a good deal in return. We just christened her this evening on a lovely day in Long Beach, home of the upcoming North Americans. She had not been named before so I am okay with the ceremony. Her name is "sweet siren".

I have heard reports from the new owners, Benj and Izzie, of my boat and they are loving it! They have sent me picture of them sailing on their home waters. It is beautiful. I may have to find time to go up there to sail.

Hope to see you all out here in September.

Later,
Dan

Well said! Kiel Week, the major event in the north-european sailing community, is just one month ago. However, it's not such an important event that pros show up in our class (possibly except for the polish team which have been olympic games participants), and 1st was an Infusion and 2nd a Capricorn. No Wildcats were supplied to Germany at that stage, 3rd were the polish on Exploder.
We had one day with winds in the 25kt-region, and I had big, big problems - actually, I quit that day. Since then I wonder how much is owed to the boat and how much to my inexperience (this was my 2nd ranking list regatta ever ...)

the shockwave is probably the best design for me, if the results i have heard are true in eourpian regattas and texel in light to moderate airs and flat water they may have a tiny disadvantage with the volume in the bow but when we are talking about a moderate to fresh breeze if they handle anything like my hawk (and they look very similar) they will be able to be driven harder without pitching