Hey, I am not promoting the idea of people buying new Hobie 14's. I was just curious myself. The guy had said that Dragoons were too expensive for youth boats, and yet the prices he is talking about for new imported Hobie 14's are higher than the Dragoon price that was given to me by Hobie Cat Company.

There have to be lots of old Hobie 14's around -- for people who really want a Hobie 14, it is just a matter of finding them.

If these boats are indeed for a youth sailing program, I find it EXTREMELY strange that the kids would be making the decision about what boat they want. The fact that adults would just say, "Okay," is very disturbing to me. The Hobie 14 is a fun boat, but you don't buy kids a bunch of expensive new boats just so they can have fun. The 14 is not exactly going to lead kids down the path to the Olympics -- or even to weekend regattas. It would be a step backward for youth sailing in the United States, in my humble opinion.

And, personally, I have always wanted a Hobie 14, but not enough to pay for a new one.


Mary A. Wells