Quick Question about min. weight

I'm thinking about picking up a hobie 17, and while researching it i found that the minimum racing weight is 160 pounds. I weigh 150 pounds, with regular clothes on. But i figure that with my harness, life vest, wetsuit, boots, etc, that i probably put on that extra 10 pounds. But is the weight measurement before or after getting suited up....

From the IHCA General Class Rules:



It's not a big deal to carry 10 lbs of weight on the boat. Just take a barbell plate and tie it to the trampoline directly behind the mast.

I've also seen people take 5 lb ankle weights and strap them to the forward wing tube, right above the hull.

yea not a big deal at all, a 10 pound plate is relatively small anyway. Thanks for the clarification.

Eat more pizza and give us big guys a chance in the light stuff!


sm

Buy it!!! 17s rock!

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Frank, sailing '02 Getaway in Wichita KS. Lake Cheney
(Hobie 17 RIP, storm of '05)

well i'm 18 and going to college in the fall, so money is an issue for the first time in my life...but i think i might bite the bullet and pick it up. And srm, now that hockey season is over i'll probably be over min. weight by the summer. and not to hijack my own thread, but me and my friend (my friend and I) are planning to do the statue of liberty race this year, from what i understand there is no pre registration for it...is that right?

Hi Guy,

The H17 is a fun boat and if you are located near the Mid-Atlantic Div11 has a group of friendly and very experienced H17 sailors/racers. You should consider attending a couple of events ....

Now about the "Statue" Race .....

I've attended/competed/finished the Statue of Liberty race on 4-5 occasions .... And I've always had a good time ..... BUT it is not a race for someone w/ little or no experience. Once you pass inside of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge it is a whole different world and you will be the flea among the elephants ... the currents are strong ... the ferries will run you over ... the tour boats just love to get in your way .... it is a "washing machine" in there as everything is completely bulkheaded and reflects all the waves and there is no "safe haven" anywhere if you get into trouble.

So it's a "serious" race ... that takes serious prep for. Now I was raised on the water in boats .... by the time I was 16 I was running including docking 40' sportfishing boats and you may be the same ... so have at it .... I would recommend a two person boat though. In Div11 Steve Meyers comes to mind ... grew up racing w/ his Dad on a H18, by the time he was your age he was beating all us adults on his own H18 and H17.

A couple of lessons I've learned ...

1) Get a chart of New York Harbor and study it .... memorize it as there is so much activity in there you do not have time to pull out a chart

2) Study the weather in Up-State New York .... if it rains hard up near Albany in the days preceeding you can forget about "tides" ... the current in the Hudson will be in only one direction ... out to sea.

3) It is really hard to make out landmarks in NJ on the return trip back ... so make sure you look back as you head in and pick some out. There is a tall radio antenna/tower that makes a good reference point.

4) Depending on the direction of the currents ... you will round Lady Liberty either "clockwise" or "counter clockwise".

Good Luck

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

thanks for the info, and yea i have a lot of experience on the water. i have been sailing for only about 4 years (no racing) but i have been living on the water for about 10. And i do plan on doing it on a two person boat, and the skipper has been sailing for a while, hes an instructor at a yacht club and has a good deal of racing experience. Still expect it to be challenging though. And i sail in the manasquan river and off of sea girt beach, so this summer i want to try to make it to some Div 11 events. Thanks again for the advice, i'll definitely use it.

Stags, this is getting quite far off the original topic, but I assume you're sailing off the beach in sea girt with the group of five or ten boats that are kept on the beach all season (Beacon blvd?). I was considering trying to launch there and/or get a permit and keep a boat on the beach for the season. If that's where you're launching, do you have an email so I could shoot you a few questions offline about launching in Sea Girt? Last year I just drove down to Seaside to sail in the bay.
Thanks.

sm

Don't sweat the weight: My son took off to college last fall and put on the infamous 'freshman 50'. Hopefully you'll be just as lucky.

I thought it was only supposed to be freshman 15...

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Ben Wells - Hobie 16

It is.

For men it generally is, but for the women it tends to be a LOT more!

srm, my email is [email protected]

I've sent you an email.

sm