Hobie USA, Dated Designs?

and



Can't say anything is wrong (except a little hefty). No, I've never sailed one. I hope they make critical mass as well. I think the design will do wonders as Hobie appeal to a younger crowd.

As far as I know a Blade is right at $13K. What's the MSRP of the "ONE"? And sorry for harping on this, but I'm not a big guy at 160lbs., does anyone know the weight required for righting the ONE.

Don't go the 'expense for fun' route, that's a whole other thread in itself.

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

I've sailed the FX 1 and owned a Fox, its big brother. Both are great sailing boats. My complaint is the lack of glass on the bottoms. Hobie Europe started using a colored wear indicator so people would know when to repair the keels, the earlier boats didn't have this. There is no meat at the seam of the clam. The tabs are too small, the putty cracks and there is little to no reinforcement. Nacras boats have a 3" tab, no putty, no external seam and seem to wear better on the sand. I have been inside the Fox extensively, repairing dagger board damage. The attachment of the dagger well to the hulls is no more than a glass rope ( twisted strands ) and putty. The Europe boats are not beach boats, which is Hobies' reputation in the US. They are great lake boats and that is where most of them reside. As compared to the Hobie 18 the Europe boats are very fragile, the Hobie 20 is stronger and its a clam shell design. My 1982 18 is less than 60lbs heavier than a Tiger, so whats the advantage of not making the keels solid glass on the Europe boats. A carbon mast would shave more weight than weak hulls. Perhaps lawsuits are not as prevelent in Europe and products aren't manufactured to the same standards as here in the USA. If you question any of this just watch the Tiger sailors at the next regatta you attend. The boats are handled with kid gloves, kept on wheels with foam blocks supporting rear. The sailors that ground the seam will most likely experience hull failure in the future as the seam is part of what holds the boat together. I love my Hobie 18 and after owning a Europe Hobie would not upgrade to any of the products Hobie US now sells as race boats. I feel this thread is falling on deaf ears at Hobie US, they don't care about the racing scene. If they did why would they encourage Hobie only regattas in the US. Racing is racing, F classes allow customizing for personal preference. Why shouldn't we race Hobies against Nacras, Blades, etc. If they are basically the same, why not. Why should any group that sponsors a race be told that they shouldn't allow boats from another manufacturer? Is Hobie concerned that their boats won't come out on top? Are they concerned that sailors will choose other designs over theirs? I sail in the now defunct Div 9 with any and all cats welcome to all races, Hobie says we're all a-holes with bad attitudes. Our fleets are Hobie, Nacra and soon Capricorn. I agree Hobies service and parts distribution are fantastic, the US made boats hold up on the beach, they have developed great boats over the years. If they feel roto plastic is the right market for them at this time then go for it. My next cat purchase will not be a Hobie unless something new comes along in the next year. I will never own a Europe boat again, period.

All righty then!!! Maybe some popcorn is in order.



I've seen most boats at regattas (including 16's & 18's) handled in this way. A function of wanting to keep the hulls as smooth as possible.



Let's not confuse the racing class association (HCA) with Hobie Cat the manufacturer. Make a choice between OD (one design) and handicap racing. I feel there is a greater opportunity for me to increase or measure my skills as a sailor by racing the exact same boat as the next guy. Not knocking what others do, but I'll agree why should HCA support an open Portsmouth handicap class? I hope the Multi Manufacturer OD racing of the F18 (Tiger, NACRA, Capricorn) will return to HCA sanctioned events. That is reasonable, it's still OD racing.



Yikes Sorry you feel that way. I think what you're doing with your boat is very progressive. I'm glad you have a venue to race it. I don't have that choice here, unless I want to join the yacht club and race against a lot of slow boats.

I'm glad they're great lake boats, closest thing resembling a beach here is a concrete boat ramp, but I don't think I would have sailed our 18 up it.

What do they (FXOne) cost?

How many pounds to right?

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

I am really sorry if that is way my comments come across. There is a big difference between customer input falling on deaf ears and a company responding to specific desires of its customers. We have made great strides over the last ten years taking a company on the decline to a now vibrant and growing company. We have to be careful as to what we choose to do. It is not a matter of dis-regard for racing at all. We have a line of products that appeal to a great many consumers. We still sell hundreds of Hobie 16s, the Tiger is still one of the top F18s, we have many different models in both glass and polyethelene.

Please, rest assured that if a product or design is appropriate... we will design and build it. We certainly do not dis-respect our customers or posters in these forums. We are listening.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Sorry for the long post, bad mood today. My Fox in '02 was a little over 15k with trailer. The FX should be close to 12k at this point. FX has the same cool Nils designed reverse bows that do pierce waves well. The Fox would go thru 4-5ft swell without noticing it. Couldn't ever get it to launch off a wave, went thru them instead of riding over. My crew and I couldn't right the Fox in light wind, 380lbs combined. The FX should be easier and rightable by one person.