That one is interesting... Murrays (who is not an authorized Hobie Cat dealer anyway) sent you some kind of "after market" jib that was not "class legal" for the 18? Certainly that jib was not made by Hobie Cat! We make all of our (USA model cats) Hobie Sails in our loft here in Oceanside California. We do not make an after market jib that is not class legal for an 18, nor do we sell one that is at some different price structure. No idea where Murrays came up with that idea. Sounds like they just made a mistake and sent you some sail from another manufacturer that they sell. It disturbs me that they are trying to pass this off as "the same" or from our loft. All of our dacron sails are made from 5.6 oz dacron cloth. You will find that the cheaper after market sails are likely much lighter weight material.
We do sell a "recreational" jib for the 16 that is roller furling.
Hmmmm, interesting....
Well, I will say that upon closer inspection, they do apear to be different sails. At least the zipper is a different make, and there are telltails and windows on the Hobie jib, which is really important to me.
I am still glad I was able to purchase the Hobie branded jib, and even happier that it is different than the "generic" one.
Thanks for your time and your quick answers, Matt.
By the way, I just LOVE my Hobie 18!
A couple of years ago my wife decided to get me a new main for 18 for my birthday. She went through Murray's, and ended up getting the sails they sell from Super Sailmakers (she wasn't aware of the class requirement). She ordered the heavier cloth version, which is similar to the weight of the Hobie sail. With the heavier cloth, the sail cost about the same as the Hobie sail. It did not come with telltales, numbers, or windows as standard. The claim is that the Super Sailmakers sails are the same cut and dimensions as the stock sails.
See the attached photo - the old stock sail is on the bottom, the new non-stock sail on top. Luff, head and foot are lined up. Quite a bit less area. I wouldn't have been able to use my battens without cutting them down. The sail build quality was excellent - but it was not the same cut and dimension.
We returned this sail and got a new Hobie one. Much better! Came with numbers, telltales, windows, and the area was actually a little more on the leech.
I looked at the Murray cataloge after you guys were posting this and it is a bit misleading. They list in the sidebar for Replacement sails for H14, H16, and TheMightyHobie18 the different color and weight options and state that they are not class legal for racing. Then in the sail selection chart, they list "Aftermarket Sails" and "Factory Sails". Saying "Factory Sails" leads one to believe that these ARE from Hobie and class legal but it says nothing about that. I wonder what they mean by "Factory Sails"?
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(Matt - I think your responses here are "spot on" and shows what a standup company Hobie is. Thanks for your input).
I stated that Hobie Cat USA makes all of the current USA model boat sails here in Oceanside, California. That is correct, except for one sail. The Hobie 20 jib is built by our former sail loft manager's loft in San Diego. This is because of the way it is cut and put together and we feel that the personal attention given to the jib on this boat is very important. It requires a keen eye more than any other sail we are building here.
Hi Matt...
Just a quick thought about possible options for Hobie customers looking for a Hobie trampoline replacement. Many other segments of industry produce different quality items for their customers, giving them a choice of "good", "better", or "best". Then people who may not sail often, or who might have a tight financial situation, could choose to purchase a Hobie replacement part that best suited their needs. We would understand that the "good" Hobie tramp may not last as long, or carry as lengthy a warranty, as the "best" one. It would be like the difference in price for a plain white Hobie sail vs. a multi-coloured one. Both are class legal. Would it not be possible for Hobie to manufacture (or sub-contract) a slightly less labour-intensive, but class-legal "Hobie" tramp?
Just a thought...
Mark Owens
1976 H16 sail # 19857