Tom Kirkman wrote:
I own 4 Hobies and am certainly not a pitchman for Warren, but in the interest of sailing in general I noted this new 20' model from Warren just recently announced:
http://www.warrenlightcraft.com/specsul20.htmlAnd this is why I think Hobie's got it right.
Warren claims that you can car top their boat because it's so light, but at 20 feet long, you won't find many people placing that on top of their 15 foot vehicles, with 4 foot long roofs. So now you're towing a 20 foot long boat, (on a 22 foot long trailer) made of lightweight materials, and top of the line sail materials, so that it goes faster, when in reality a 13 foot Wave will tow on a shorter trailer, set up just as quickly, and give you more performance, carry more people, and probably be more durable, all for a price that can't be beat.
Don't get me wrong, there are certainly some very nice things about the Warren boat, and the Weta and others. But Hobie seems to deliver a great selection of boats for all kinds of sailors.
You'd have to REALLY want a trimaran to spring for that kind of money. Most people that I talk to are looking for more performance, they like the design of the AI, but aren't stuck on the Trimaran configuration.