Hobie at Steeple Chase

I don't know how many of you frequent the catsailor.com boards but there is a large discussion going on about the Steeple Chase distance race.
After two days of racing a Hobie 16 is in second place by elasped time and (not for sure) I think it is leading if you factor in the adjusted times.
Just thought this might interest all the Hobie guys around here. An ancient design that is four feet shorter than most of the competitors is kicking but. Shoot they might just win, wouldn't that be cool!

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

All the old Hobie guys know that in a big blow, the 16 is the right tool for the job.

I can't tell you how many records on distance races are held by Hobie 16s, but it's a lot. They are the only boats that hold together.

We raced a 29 mile distance race last summer. The forecast was 25 mph, gusting to 40 mph (have no actual data but that was close).

Of the boats entered the first four were H16, a H17 6th and THEN H20's at 7th, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19 & 20.

The 16 guys were lovin' it. On the 20 it was survival mode

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

I personally would have loved to see an 18 out there. A tank like the 16 but a little less likely to pitch-pole. Team Tybee just flat out kicks butt in any conditions.

Okay, all of this brings up an interesting question.

In a distance race under rough conditions is an old design that is tougher really the better boat? The 16 and 18 are definently fast boats but not as fast as the newer designs, but does the ability to push them make them an ideal boat for distance races?

I just think it is an interesting idea, and it is cool to see the 16 kicking butt. My friends with their 16's are getting some pretty big ideas now!

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

Personally, I'd never do a long-distance race like the Tybee 500 or the like on a small boat like the 16. While it is built like a tank, it would really only do well on reaching legs. It wouldn't stand a chance upwind or down, especially against spinnaker boats. The true mark of experience on the faster, bigger boats, is the ability to control them and effectively depower them. I wouldn't be caught dead on a 120 mile Tybee leg on a hobie 16.

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Trey Brown
www.velocitysailing.com
2006 N20 1017
1998 H16 102698
www.sunjammers.com ftw!

Above a certain wind speed - call it 25+ knots - the boats just don't go any faster no matter how hard it's blowing. That's when the "higher tech" boats begin to break - or they become so hard to control that they purposely "throttle down" by not flying the spinnaker, which levels the playing field a lot.

In addition, because of the boardless design of the 16, it's less susceptible to hull damage from hitting a submerged object at speed - a real harzard in distance racing. (A friend of mine barely missed hitting a floating railroad tie with his Tiger in New York harbor during the Statue of Liberty Race.)

2006 Statue Race Results
Corrected Time
(Wind 15-20, broad reach in, upwind (no tacks) return)

Pos Class Sail No Helm Crew USPN Elapsed Ewin CorrectedRwin Pts
1 N20 H2 867 Chris Titcomb Nate Titcomb 58.851 2:36:59 0:00:00 4:26:45 58.85 1
2 HF18 H1 1808 Matt Bounds Justin Labarca 61.4839 2:44:56 0:00:56 4:28:15 61.831 2
3 H16 H2 46 Mark Moderman Mike Cast 74.5446 3:20:19 0:01:28 4:28:43 75.095 3
4 HF18 H2 1457 Paul Krutty Jack Barker 61.6678 2:47:39 0:03:09 4:31:52 62.849 4
5 H16 107568 Rich McVeigh Diane Fisher 74.1 3:21:50 0:04:10 4:32:23 75.664 5
6 N20 882 Doug Kirby Andy Herbick 58.5 2:39:44 0:03:41 4:33:03 59.881 6
7 H16 H1 109892 William Jeffers Mike Fames 74.3223 3:23:21 0:05:06 4:33:36 76.232 7
8 H16 107652 Greg Raybon Matt Raybon 74.1 3:23:49 0:06:09 4:35:03 76.407 8
9 N20 H1 872 Barry Moore Patricia Moore 58.6755 2:42:43 0:06:12 4:37:19 61 9
10 H20 H2 718 Chris Bolton David Nees 64.7864 3:00:50 0:08:01 4:39:07 67.791 10
11 NF18 564 Mike Easton Tripp Burd 61.3 2:51:28 0:07:57 4:39:43 64.28 11
12 H17 6504 Ed Nolen 73.7 3:26:35 0:09:59 4:40:18 77.445 12
13 H16 107776 Bob Merrick Elisa Cleveland 74.1 3:29:54 0:12:14 4:43:16 78.688 13
14 N20 H2 USA259 Chris Allen Todd Berget 58.851 2:46:43 0:09:44 4:43:17 62.499 14
15 H16 335 Dan Ward Carol Hilk 74.1 3:29:59 0:12:19 4:43:23 78.719 15
16 SC20 H3 SC20 Herve Dauvergne Dan DeRoo 65.852 3:08:50 0:13:10 4:46:45 70.79 16
17 HF18 1575 Brett Sullivan John Keenan 61.3 2:58:06 0:14:35 4:50:32 66.767 17
18 H17 6212 Bill Kast 73.7 3:34:32 0:17:56 4:51:05 80.425 18
19 H16 110128 Ken Hilk Bev Griffe 74.1 3:35:51 0:18:11 4:51:18 80.918 19
20 N6.0NA H1 308 Todd Riccardi Mark dougherty 61.9854 3:00:56 0:15:35 4:51:54 67.829 20
21 N20 H1 873 Trey Brown Alan Stewart 58.6755 2:51:48 0:15:17 4:52:48 64.405

What was that you were saying, Trey? Maybe you wouldn't stand a chance on a 16, but the 16's certainly did well in the Statue Race which was predominantly a downwind/upwind course (albeit with very little tacking).

Don't even try playing the "16 has a sweet Portsmouth Number" card, 'cause you know it doesn't. Too many really good sailors in the class.

In that distance race it was a screaming reach out and back, and the 20's didn't have spins any way. We were very lucky not to thump anything down at the shallow end of the lake. Dave Rice ripped the dagger trunk out of his 20.

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

I just found it interesting, lets not start making it personal!

But it is still pretty cool that the 16 can hang with the bigger boats!

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

Nice 2nd place finish Matt!

Along with my busted spinlock for my spin halyard...

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Trey Brown
www.velocitysailing.com
2006 N20 1017
1998 H16 102698
www.sunjammers.com ftw!

The 16 is a great little boat made for the ocean and ocean winds. Some very good sailors have and still sail them. The 18 was built for those same conditions and with more sail area to go even faster. You can take either boat out in any conditions and worse case break a wire. The 18 daggers are super strong as are the dagger wells. Its a shame the 18 is no longer available and not raced often. I would jump on the opportunity to race my 18 in the Tybee.

The first Worell 1000 was on one-design Hobie 16s.
Oh yea and it was non-stop.
And men were men.

Arrrggghhhhh! Men being men with men dammit!!

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