After driving Hobie 16's for 15 years I've decided to start my own personal fleet by buying a second boat. I'm enamored with all the new technology and I'm leaning towards the Inter 17R or Inter 20. I'm looking for speed and handling. My sailing time is split between single and double handed sailing and keeping the H16 gives me flexability. I haven't raced in about 5 years but I'm looking to get back into it. I like both of these boats and was originally going to go with the 17 as it would give me a fast and fun single handed boat. But then I started to read about how uni's are hard to tack and that they don't point well. I also read somewhere that they are non competetive in winds above 15. I don't know what to believe so now I'm not sure. I then figuired I could buy a 20 and single hand it when I'm not racing. OK group, how about some help. How well does a 17 point and how hard is it to tack? If you'd like, relate it to my H16. Also how does it handle in heavy air? I-17 Owners tell me what you like and dislike most about the boat? On the I-20 side, can the boat be single handed? Also any likes or dislikes? I'd appreciate any and all help given.
I have not sailed alot on the I-17 but I was very impressed with the one sail I did have on it. It is the only unirig I have ever sailed that tacked on demand, ie push the helm over and you are on the other tack. Seams like a cool boat to me.
Eric
Tom,
The Inter 17R points better than the sloops we race with (I-20, I-18, N5.8, and others) and not as well as the A-Class. It is very similar to the N5.5Uni in pointing ability. As with all catamarans, you can pick between footing off and pinching up, but the best VMG to the weather mark results in only the A-Class outpointing the I-17R. As compared to the H-16, the I-17R is WAY, WAY, WAY better at pointing and getting to the weather mark! This is true of all the sloops that have daggerboards or centerboards.
I have no difficulty in tacking the I-17R and it is WAY, WAY, WAY easierr to tack than a H-16 (my first cat). It does require that you get from one side and forward very quickly to get the best tacks (read Rick White's book for the technique), but this is true for all cats. The thing about Uni's that makes them
hard to tack
is that the mainsail will cause the boat to weathervane back head-to-wind if you don't ease the mainsheet as the boat goes thru the eye of the wind during the tack. With your H-16, you probably ease the main and backwind the jib until the tack was complete and you release the jib, sheet in the main and get underway on the new tack.
Heavy air is not a problem on the I-17R. The carbon mast, downhaul controls, outhaul controls and traveler all contribute to making the boat easy to depower when the wind pipes up. It is probably not as easy to sail in big wind as my 18 Square was, but is easier than my N5.5 Uni. My wife hated heavy air when I had the H16 so I was not able to take advantage of that boat's capability in heavy air and it makes me reluctant to do a comparison. We used to pitchpole more on the H16 and I have yet to pitchpole the I-17R in the 2 seasons I have been racing. I use the spinnaker, and off the wind, the spinnaker lifts the bows.
The thing I like most about the I-17R is the spinnaker. This makes the boat very fast downwind and I can fly the hull all the way to the weather mark, turn the corner, put up the chute and fly the hull all the way downwind! Whoopee! My only complaint is that it gets there so quick that I wish for more time with the chute up! Next is the superb handling and feel of this boat. It has near-nuetral helm and the comparison to my other boats is that this is the Porsche of cats, compared to the N5.5 Uni being the Taurus and the H16 being a dump truck. (Not meant to be offensive, just a relative comparison). I also like how quickly it goes upwind.
As for the I-20, we have two sailors that regularly sail their I-20s single-handed. The I-20 sailors seem to love the handling of their boat and believe it better than the I-17R. I have skippered both and I think they are very much the same. The distance from rudder to daggerboard on the I-20 is a little longer and makes it a little less
quick
. The I-17R is SO quick that I would probably favor the I-20 on this, but it is a very small difference.
I have owned and raced the H16 (7 years), the 18 Square (6 years), Nacra 5.5 Uni (9 years, but took 3 seasons off), and am in my second season with the I-17R. This I-17R is the best of the best, but I loved sailing all of them! I hope this helps.
Les Gallagher
Inter 17R USA 104
little yellow boat
Thanks for the info. It's a big help. I went down to the dealer today and looked at both boats again. The I-20 sure is cool but I think it's going to be too much boat to wrestle with on the beach if I'm by myself. Not to mention what happens if I lose it single handed and go over. That could add up to a long day on the bay. So it looks like I'm going to go with the I-17R. The price the dealer gave me was about $13500. That's for the boat, snuffer, Trailex aluminum trailer, cat wheels, and a box on the trailer. How does that price sound?
Hello,
1. I have a I-17 normal
2. I liked Les's analysis so I will add only new info.
3. As for pointing,...in last years BVI spring regatta,...with N5.8 and P19MX's,...they took 3 tacks to the top mark,...I ( the I-17) took 2,......plus beat then up there! The boat was the talent ( make no mistake about that). The boat points so high,...it was rediculous.
4. The next week was Rolex Regatta, I stayed in St. Croix because the water that weekend was too rough. There is a shelf off the south of St. T that goes from 20,000 feet to 50 feet. As you can imagine, the waves are huge. Anyway, 3 Puerto Rican H-16s were #1, #2 and #4 with a P19MX ( a local) in at #3 to finish 3 days of racing. Do not count out a well sailed H-16,......sometimes they are hard to beat!
regards,
Bruce
St. Croix
Sounds like a GREAT deal!
Les Gallagher
Inter 17R USA 104
little yellow boat