Hobie Dragon coming to the US

Wayne Mooneyham, If you are still looking for a boat for your grandson, this could be the right one. See details on the INHCA site link. Caleb

It is about time!

I've sailed it several time solo with genaker and it is a fun for for an adult too. I did miss however a boom and mastrotator, that is the only thing I would add. But you can do well without. Genaker sailing solo is also well to do due to it small genaker and trampoline. Setting and retrieving manual (no snuffer) only took about 3 to 4 seconds that includes stuffing it in the very nice hobie genaker bag.

If you 're looking for a good youth boat which you can also sail as a parent than the hobie dragoon is a good choice. I could right it single handed, although it was heavier than I expected this might be a consideration if you have light kids. I'm 178 pounds and 6"2'

The only drawback I encountered as well as my friend on the other dragoon was that it wants to turtle when it is just on it's side. I don't know why exactly. I could deturtle solo but that took alot of effort and strength. These boats where heavily used so their might have been some water in the mast or something; I don't see hobie as a builder that would sell a youth boat that doesn't float on it's side, on the other hand I have see pictures in brochures where the boat was fitted with a mast floater ball.

Wouter

I am not too surprised about the going turtle. My H14 would go insta-turtle every time I fliped. A mast float fixed that easy enough.

David

Just checked the Intl Hobie Site and found nothing about the boat.

Rick

Rick White

Catamaran Sailor Magazine

email: rick@catsailor.com

More on Dragoon :

http://www.hobie-cat.com/Dragoon.HTM (hobie europe page)

http://www.hobie.uk.com/Dragoon/parts/dragoon_parts_choice.htm

http://www.hobie.uk.com/Dragoon/Dragoon.htm

http://www.hobiecat.nu/html/batar/dragoon.html

I found these pages by just type Hobie Dragoon at the www.google.com search engine.

Looks like the dragoon has a optional boom which I would definately recomment. Otherwise the sailshape in the stronger winds and gusts will look very strange. And having one surely improves gust response. BTW. it is a small lightweight boom so not really dangerous.

Hope this helps Rick.

Wouter

Thanks, Wouter,

Went to the site and opened up the pix and specs. As I see it the Dragoon is about the same specs as the Wave except that it is a little lighter because of the fiberglass material, rather than plastic.

The Dragoon specs were all in metric system and I was lost, but then Mary told me to multiply all the numbers by 3.28 and I ended up with the

Dragoon The Wave

12.82 L 13 L

7.05 W 7 W

209 lbs 250 lbs

20.99 mast 20 mast

Now, for a Junior boat that will probably be running into each other, seems the plastic Wave may be more beneficial over a fiberglass boat, even with the additional weight.

Looking at the Dragoon below:

It really does look a little like a shrunken Hobie 18, but still pretty much like the Wave.

Got a problem with the spinnaker, however.

In my R&D to supply an add-on spinnaker, two-place junior boat, with single or double trap, I found that the low fractional spinnaker they are using in the above pix will not do anything for boat speed. When I went to masthead (or close to it) the Wave really started performing and I was sailing as fast and higher upwind than 5 Hobie 16's in light air, upwind and choppy.

At first, I did the same thing you can see in the above pix, thinking of safety with the mast. But the Wave mast is so stiff there is not a thing to worry about. And when moving the halyard turning block higher the boat really started to perform.

We have been in a freindly debate about getting a good platform for our junior sailors, and these comments are meant in just that flavor.

Funny, but if and when we all figure out the great boat for kids, they will all continue sailing Laser Radials. Oh well!

Thanks for listening,

Rick

Rick White

Catamaran Sailor Magazine

email: rick@catsailor.com

Here is the Dragoon

Rick

Rick White

Catamaran Sailor Magazine

email: rick@catsailor.com

Rick, I found the data on the Dragoon by starting at the IHCA site, then down through: Hobies on The Net, Hobie Mfgrs, Hobie Cat Europe, Table of Contents, Products Boat Listing, Product Boat HC Dragoon. This way it come up in English. Caleb

Marie said it right.

For future use :

1 pound is 0,45 kg's

1 foot is 0,305 mtr.

Looks like you did the conversion correctly.

With respect to the wave versus Dragoon, I would say that they seem close enough to be almost like a youth formula class. However I would prefer the dragoon because of it's maintraveller, boom option and lighter weight. That is from a performance point of view. I also think that the dragoon has adjustable jib travellers. Practicallity will favour other aspects that put the wave back in front.

I agree with you that, especially in light air, the top of the headsail needs to be as high as possible and as far away from the mast and other sail as possible.

On the other hand, I haven't sailed the dragoon with the hooter and furling type of sail that is show in the pictures. I sailed it with a true trampoline launched Genaker (Asymmetric spinnaker with the 75 % girth rule). This sail is alot bigger than the hooter shown

in the picture. Therefor I can't not comment on this aspect any further.

Well, once kids start out sailing lasers they will want to continue sailing on these youth cats.

They also found that adults favoured the Dragoons when they started solo sailing to build up confidence. Instead of the Hibie 14 and larger boats like FX-one,

Wouter

It would be interesting to see how the Dragon performs against the Wave. I have four kids and the strong plastic Hobie Wave looks like a more durable option than the Tiger, and also more affordable.