Other factors, and it sounds silly, but are your rudders installed and adjusted correctly? if they're backwards left (port) to right (starboard) or the tiller bar is adjusted too far out or in to where the rudders go into the water and turn side to side at different angles that will grind you to a stop quickly no matter how fast your going into the tack. I really suggest ya find an experienced hobie 16 sailor near you that can go over your boat with you and even take it for a spin to really see whats going on. Several years ago when i bought my first H16 ( after having sailed keel boats for 15 years ) I had the identical problem......the first several months i was just like " well.... I guess the boat wants to go this way no matter where i steer....... dang." I had to jibe all the way around backwards to get on a course that was only about 30 degrees difference of the direction i was already going, i had no help at all that first year and with other people on my boat saying where the hell are you going??? We need to go over there! - pointing finger..... sometimes my crew were pointing directly into the wind and were baffled when i got tired of hearing them and did what they said and then I smirked as we started sailing backwards. ( another Hobie 16 skill you WILL develop )
Until You get good, as you go into a turn, steer over slow getting faster as you go dead into the wind - un sheeting your main as you go around, like the others said - backwinding the jib till it pushes the bows completely to other course, sheet jib on new course then sheet in main and straighten tiller to build speed. It also helps if everyone onboard moves aft for a few seconds to get the bows up out of the water a bit, otherwise, up wind, keep the weight on the boat as far forward as possible. You want the stern to be above water an inch or so. If thats not possible with the total crew weight, do what I did and get a H20!!! Lol ....
With the dagger boards it turns on a dime
