Hi All,

New to the forum. Any suggestions for the next level of cat for my summer camp? I have a kids camp in Maine with 6 to 16 year olds. We have Hobie Bravos for training and I'm looking at the next cat to get for older kids to move up to. I have seen the wave and getaway from Hobie, but I don't know if they will be what we're after. Has to have a jib, and I'd like it to be fast enough to be fun for the camp director too (me)! In part for myself and for the older campers, I'm considering the Hobie T2 which looks to be about as performance oriented as I can get in the rotomolded world. I like the rotomolded ones since they're nearly indestructible, but I would consider a smaller, fast fiberglass cat. It also has to be new enough to look good (can't be an 80's hobie 16). Suggestions? Not looking at budget right now, so I guess it's relatively open. Our property is on a small lake (3.5 miles long and shaped like an exclamation point. Small at our end, so lots of tacks are required) and we get light to medium winds (maybe up to 30 knots on crazy days, and usually around 5 to 10). Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
Gregg



Edited by campdirectorgregg on Jan 18, 2015 - 02:05 PM.

If budget were not a issue! rotomolded are nice but they weigh a ton!! You can find good used hobie 16's around, if the hulls don't have soft spots you are in good shape, one of our junior sailors got a 84 h16, that had been stored indoors, for $850, hulls were solid, all it needs to be competitive at the national level is better sails.
That's something to consider, whats being raced in your area, and whats being raced nationally, There are several prindle 16s in the youth groups here in the Midwest, again, solid boat, fairly indestructible, has about the same numbers as a hobie 16. we race the hobie 16's and prindle 16's together, no handicap.
Getting something they can take to a local race outside of youth racing is something else to consider.

We also have several youth who have gotten hobie 14's, for some reason the kids can tack those!
Another one of our kids got a 85 h14 turbo with solid hulls for $500. not bad.
I think if you get rotomolded you will be disappointed in the performance.
One suggestion no matter what you do install mast bobs.
would like to discuss youth programs with you.
we run two one week camps each summer, opti's, sunfish, laser, 420's and cats. plus host a youth regatta.
There are several youth sailing groups within 2 to 5 hours of our home lake cheney in Kansas.
we will probably have 4 youth only regattas in the area this summer.

Mark

Hi Mark,

I grew up sailing Hobie 16's, and loved them. The only issue for me is total indestructibility. I'd love to know how a Hobie Getaway compares in performance. According to the D-NP numbers, the 16 and the getaway are pretty close: http://www.ussailing.org/racing/offshore-big-boats/portsmouth-yardstick/current-tables/multihull-classes/

What I don't like about the rotomolded boats is the weight!. everytime I have helped pull one up on the beach its harder than pulling my 18 up on the beach. not sure if 2 kids could do it very well. just my 2 cents.
We have several getaways in our club, and haven't really seen much in the way of performance, of course its usually very new sailors sailing them.

They stay in the water for the summer so transporting them or pulling them up isn't an issue. What I'm more interested in is if they are fast enough to be fun. Seems like they're close to the 16's, they must be pretty fun to sail. Any comments on sailing them?

Couldn't tell you, I have never sailed a getaway,
Sounds to me like a excuse to go to florida in the winter and sail all the different rotomolded boats!

I grew up racing C-Scows. Couple of years ago spent a week at Camp Michigania which is a family camp on Walloon Lake here in Michigan. Sailed both the Hobie 16's and the Getaways. Getaway you could pack as many kids on it as there was deck space and still sail it around. On the 16, more than a couple and you where sinking it.

On the last day winds where blowing 25mph. Three of us adults (2 newbies plus myself), probably 450lbs worth, had a ball ripping through the water. Perfect day, no one hurt, steady 25mph blow, rippin through and throwing water everywhere. Felt bad for the crew because someday someone was going to ask them to go Hobie Catin' and it is not going to anywhere close to that day. Loved sailing the getaway so much went out and bought a Nacra I20.

Getaways where more popular at camp than the Hobie 16's. Hobie 16's where more fun when just you and a crew. In a blow, the Getaway was much more stable.

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Steve
Nacra Inter 20
Okemos Michigan
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T2 with the spin opens up a whole new world of sailing that can translate nearly directly to the F16 N17 F18 world. It'd be nice to have a Wave in between as a stepping stone.

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Jeff R
'88 H18 "Jolly Mon"
'10 C2 USA1193
NE IN / SE MI
cramsailing.com
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