In terms of durability and utility, how does the Hobie 20 stand up to the Nacra 6.0 NA. The local fleet here is a mish mosh of Hobie 20's, 18's, 16's, Nacra 5.5's and a Tornado. One design is obviously not the issue. What I want to buy is a boat that will handle the rigors of recreational sailing and the occasional race weekend. Do both stand equal or is one going to be a bit more rugged than the other?
PSB
As the old saying goes
the first liar doesn't have a chance
. I can only give my opinion, but I have considered both boats in the past. The early H-20's had hull problems that tainted my consideration of them.
One only has to look at the N 6.0's record in the Worrell 1000
when different boats were allowed to compete. The best and fastest always chose the N 6.0 over any other design. Don't get me wrong if you sailed in an area where one design racing favored the H-20 that would be your best choice. But since that qualification has been thrown out I would say the N-6.0 stands clearly ahead in durability and speed.
The 6.0 is one of the toughest moderern designed boats. I think you might want to look at some other factors besides toughness though. The 6.0 does well with more crew weight. If you are 350# or up it might be a good fit for an experienced skipper. The H20 does better under 350#. The 6.0 has an extremely powerful sail plan. The H20 is more of a finess type boat where the 6.0 is a brute strength boat.
Good Luck,
Mike Hill
H20 #791
Mr. Hill, just so that I am clear on this point. Are you saying that the Nacra is a better fit for the more experienced crew or the Hobie? While I have raced PHRF for many years and played on hobie 16 for just as long, I have no illusions that cat racing is a completely different game.
I am going to an informal regatta this weekend. Hopefully I will have a chance to ride on a few different boats to get a better feel.
PSB
I meant to say that the 6.0 requires a slightly more experienced crew and skipper. It's a very powerful boat. However, the difference is minimal in experience required.
Mike Hill
Hey Mike -
I disagree - as crew, I find the H20 to be a much more technical boat. I have a lot more to do with the trim of both main and jib on the Hobie. On the 6.0, some of my time is freed up to concentrate more on the rest of the race course and weight placement... yes, even someone my size.
The key word you used for the H20 is
finesse,
and I couldn't agree more. There are subtleties to both platforms, but I have found the 6.0 to be more forgiving, at least from the front of the boat.
That's my 2 cents.
John