Does Hobie Still Offer H18 Comptip at Discount

Does anyone know if Hobie still offers the H18 comptip at a discount to owners who have never put a comptip on thier boat?

I heard somewhere that this is possible, if you can supply them with the serial number of the boat.
Can anyone tell me if this is true and if so can you provide me with contact information for the appropriate people at Hobie?

Keith

you need to contact your local dealer, Hobie does not offer any sort of free program anymore, however they were supplying them very cheep and encouraged the dealers to pass the price along to the customer, not sure if this is still going on or not, its been a while since we've done any comptips.

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
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I would look around for a good used mast with a comptip. I would keep my all aluminum mast if possible. (Many percieved pros & cons to a comptip).
I race with a comptip, (at most regattas it doesn't matter) and cruise with the alum mast & spinnaker.

_________________
1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

dale.vanlopik"at"att"dot"net

Yes, the program is still in place. Not free but at a reduced price $300 or so if memory serves me. Boat must have clean numbers and you must go thru a dealer

Can someone chime in on the pros? I can only think of 2. One, being class legal and does that matter anymore?, except at big races within class. Two, being able to raise your mast into a electrical line and live to tell about it.

Hobie will tell you it enhanced the performance. Fact is the comptip would not exist were it not for the lawsuit Hobie lost. As small as the H18 class is I can't imagine someone complaining about a solid mast. I would not cut a mast to install a comptip. I'd run in open class with a solid mast if neccessary.

That sounds like a pretty darn good reason.

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

I'd sign a petition or vote to rescind the rule.

What boats are affected by the rule (older than 1986?) that have any "threat" of being competitive in the racing arena? Outside of a few remaining '84 and '85 H16's, are there other boats?

Hobie gave up on the replacement program a long time ago. How many "at cost", first time, comp-tip replacements were sold by dealers in 2006?

Why doesn't the class association catch up with the factory in this regard?

The rule is archaic. It's a big circle headed nowhere. The same people that may tell your boat may be faster with a comp-tip, may be the same ones that protest you if you don't have one? Huh?

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

>>What boats are affected by the rule (older than 1986?) that have any "threat" of being competitive in the racing arena? Outside of a few remaining '84 and '85 H16's, are there other boats?>>

The boats out there with all aluminum masts may no longer be competitive, but if aluminum masts are available on the used market, what would stop someone from picking up a used all-aluminum mast and sticking it on a new boat.

If the rule were recinded, I could certainly see top racers picking up used aluminum masts and running them on new boats if there is a chance they're faster.

I don't really see much of a problem with the currrent situation. It seems to be that newbies are welcome to race with metal masts "off the record." If you start doing well, you will be pressured to get a comptip.

sm

OK,

So "those in the know" are telling the newbies

"You're going to be faster with the comp-tip anyway"

when in actuality there NOT faster, a solid aluminum mast IS faster, and therefore that's why you tell the newbie to get a comp-tip? To slow them down?

That what you're saying here?

I think there's a negligable "chance" either way.

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

<That what you're saying here? >

I don't know how you got that..

Personally, I don't know which is faster, I've never used an all-aluminum mast. Although I have heard that aluminum masts can be faster.

But what I'm saying (trying to say) is that if the comptip rule is recinded in an effort to encourage people with older boats to participate in racing, it could possibly cause current racers to seek out all-aluminum masts due to the perception (true or false) that all-aluminum masts are faster. This would be a bigger problem than the current situation. In my experience, there really isn't a problem currently anyway. New guys sail what they brought, if they decide to continue racing, they are "encouraged" to get a comptip (i.e. if you want to keep racing, you need to get a comptip).

sm

Sorry Matt/Hobie, I didn't mean to open a can of worms.

FYI: I have raced a Hobie 16 with and without a comptip. In all cases with a good sailor any speed advantage is minimal at best. IE; the smoothness of hulls, good sails and a good sailor & crew will win no matter what mast is used. Good sailors knows how to get the best out of either mast.

The only reason I have two masts was it was cheap and located in my town. I like the aluminum mast for running a spinnaker as my spinnaker tang is set a little higher than normal.

_________________
1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

dale.vanlopik"at"att"dot"net

Hey, if anyone needs to apologize it should be me, you just asked an innocent question.

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

John:

Besides the safety issue. Computip lets the mast bend more to let you flatten the sail as the wind picks up. I LOVE this feature on my 17. I started with a 16 back in 79, so I know th old aluminum mast. Before you had to reef or travel out. High purchase downhauls and mast bend are a nice feature.

Just my 2 cents,

Doug

Doug,
You need to recheck your thoughts. The comptip isn't helping you flatten your sail at all, its twisting off spilling air. A solid mast would allow for flattening because of the additional stiffness. Point in case - all Tigers and Foxes initially had comptips when imported, do you see any of them running one now? You also run a squaretop main, that comptip you seem to like is reducing the power available from your high tech sail, in light air and strong air. There is not a single high performance cat on the market with a part alloy/part composite mast today. The comptip does nothing to improve performance, it was a solution to a lawsuit....period!!!