why? are the lesbians taller in the Netherlands?
Dykes or dikes, careful of the spelling please <img src="<>/cool.gif" alt="cool" title="cool" height="15" width="15" />
One other thing that may influence the debate is the size of the local fleet. There is 1 f16 blade racing in Ontario and a couple taipans not racing, but there are 5-6 F17 racing next year in southern Ontario
Hi Mr Hips,
As I layed in bed last night I was revueing what boats and dealers we have recommended for you to contact/try ...
Robbie Daniels/
Fun in the Sun
, Tampa Florida: F18 (Capricorn), F16 (Viper), A-Cat
Bob Curry/
????
,Panhandle Florida: F17 (Nacra), I/N20
and let me add ...
Rob Jerry/
Boat Works Ltd
, E Syracuse NY: F18 (Hobie
Tiger
)
This should cover a large percentage of the boats that have been mentioned in the posts ....
Now I know Bob Curry races A-Cats ... I just do not know if he sells them also ... personally I have had no business dealings w/ Bob but he is an excellent sailor (both times I was on the same race course he just flat out buried me)
You know my recommendations of Robbie and Jill ...
I have only had small business dealings for parts w/ Rob Jerry (at regattas sites) but
Boat Works
has always been very helpful so I could repair my boat and make the next start. Several of my close friends have purchased boats from/through him and to a man they all speak very highly of Rob and Boat Works.
Now the guys have had an excellent recomendation about going to Florida and attending some of the upcoming events ... so lets look out a few more months ahead and suggest attending Nigel Pitt's event in Georgia which is usually around Easter ... this is an excellent event. Trey and the I/20 Class can clue you in on this event. Also there is the Hobie MidWinters East (March27-29th) in Panama City, Florida. Now, Rob Jerry has several used Tigers in stock and a large group of competitors usually come down from upstate NY ... maybe you can arrange w/ Rob to sail a Hobie Tiger at that event. There is a Hobie dealer in Panama City come to think of it, Brad/Sunjammers, who is running the event.
This should give you a nice cross section of
Beach Cat Multi's
to check out and try.
But don't forget to check out which boat has the most organized class and buoy racing schedule (closed course)... the Hobies are the most organized currently ... next is the A-Cat Class w/ local and National One-Design events ... the F18's are third in organizing w/ again a schedule w/local and national events ... that leaves the F16 Class who have some pockets of local racing, that are trying hard to develope a national class and are very close to achieving
critical mass
towards that goal (there are 5 here on the Chesapeake but they have yet to all together attend a regatta and have their own One-design start ... hopefully maybe this year).
For the distance races (open course) the choice is currently the I20 ... there are some other designs like the Nacra 6.0NA, Mystere 6.0, P19 but they do not have any organization and usually sail in
Handicap/Portsmouth classes
in both open and closed course races
HarryMurphey
Brokenhips,
Given that a little over a year ago, I was in a similar situation; I thought I might go through how I arrived at my decision in buying a new boat. Sorry for the long post but I thought it might help.
My background is Hobie sailing with an 80/20 sailing mix of recreational to racing. Like you, I am in the 230 lb range. I sail mainly in Michigan with a mix of flat water inland lake sailing and Lake Michigan sailing.
My primary decision criteria included: single handed sailing, but the option to sail with crew, sail plan versatility (especially want to learn to fly a spinnaker), boat speed, boat weight (I don’t want to horse a 300+ lb boat around), and racing options.
My sources of information included any articles or boat reviews I could find on the web, multiple forums, manufacturers specs, regatta pictures & results, Portsmouth ratings and a factory visit.
Here are the single handed boats I looked at seriously.
Hobie 17 – I started here given my history. Lots of cheap used boats available, spinnaker option, some Midwest racing. I ruled it out due to weight (320 lbs) and after I looked around, I decided I wanted a modern hull design.
Hobie FX-One – this is the boat that started me down the modern hull design, performance cat track. Very cool looking boat that met nearly all of my decision criteria. Boat weight (326 lbs), limited availability and limited racing in the Midwest ruled it out.
A-Cat – introduced me to the box rule concept which I think is great. This is the boat I would have if I were a pure racer. Lots of good used boats available, light weight (165 lbs), some racing in the Midwest. Single handed only and lack of spinnaker sailing were the key factors.
F17 – met all my criteria except weight (343 lbs) and versatility as it is sailed single handed. Very strong racing in the Midwest. This boat would have been more of a contender if I were more of a racer.
F16 Blade – met all my criteria. Could be sailed single handed or with crew, lightweight (230 lbs), fast, and has a spinnaker. I also liked the looks of the boat more than any of the others I considered. The only negatives were limited used boat market, and Midwest racing. I could only find one or two boats in any Midwest Regatta.
I was also intrigued by the Blade home build concept. I contacted Phill, one of the designers, but it was too many hours given my schedule (200+). He encouraged me to contact Matt McDonald at Vectorworks. I did and Matt answered a lot of questions about the Blade via e-mail. Coincidentally, I had a business trip in Florida last November, so, I visited the factory in Titusville. Matt spent a considerable amount of time with me, not only showing the boat and answering more questions, but also showed me the hull manufacturing process.
What sealed the deal was Matt had a used boat that he had reconditioned and offered the same warranty as the new boats. While I wanted to do more research, especially sailing multiple boats, I felt that I should jump on the used boat. I was pretty certain at this point and they seemed to go very fast when they hit the market.
I would encourage you if you have the time to talk to the people mentioned above and sail the boats.
I have a table that compares all the boats on each factor including Portsmouth, but it gets garbled in the post. I would be happy to e-mail it to you.
Hope this helps.
Another point to consider is local dealer support. Its a long drive to Florida to get something fixed.
True and I have to admit, I have some concern about this with a lighter boat. Also, a correction to my post. F17 can be sailed with jib and 2 up.
How important is local dealer support? What do you typically expect of support from a local dealer and what do you expect from somebody on a different part of the country? Interesting parameter to know more about as I have never had any dealer support except for buying parts by phone/email/web <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />
Slight correction, F17 is 300lbs, not 343lbs, but still heavier than an A or F16. Once you get on the water though that doesn't matter.
Regarding hull design, there are pros and cons to any design. I notice on my Infusion that in chop and light wind it slaps the water and the older designs (Tiger) are better in light air with chop. But in heavy air downwind the Infusion smokes. Also the Blades don't have enough freeboard for 2 people. Probably ok with 1 person.
Also, The A-cat can be raced very well with a spinnaker if you are so inclined. Clive Mayo comes to mind - he's a big guy and he does quite well in Portsmouth racing with the 'chute.
Disagree about the freeboard on Blades - I've raced on the boat double-handed and it did fine. My skipper wasn't 200 lbs, but we were over 300 on the boat. In the breeze, that thing is damn fast.
Dealer support is actually more important than I initially thought.
When I had my
meltdown
at tradewinds last year, I was blessed to be able to have Krantz 10 minutes down the road to be able to put together quotes for me for insurance purposes.
Also, to be able to just drive 15 minutes to pickup a new set of brand new rigging is a really huge bonus.
I've sailed for 12 years without much in the way of local dealer support. I found a Hobie dealer in Austin TX that finally was able to have the parts in stock, offer advice, etc. But my Hobie is pretty solid. I only worry about the lightweight hulls (and user error) on the Blade.
I've never heard this before from anyone who has sailed one at theregatta's I've been to. When did this happen to you / Who said this to you?