Sorry, didn't mean to be sarcastic.
There are no Hobie 17s in Ireland, so I cannot comment. There were a few Hobie 18s about 10 years ago and one was fitted with wings. They were a nuisance in the dinghy park and slower than the standard Hobie 18 on the water. They seemed dangerous, sometimes catching in the short chop we often race in. The Irish have a nickname for everything, so they were immediatly christened "Patio Furniture".
We mainly race Formula 18s, Hurricane 5.9s, Dart 18s & 16s and now Spitfires. Some of the F18s are Hobie Tigers.
Dermot.