Hi Wouter

You are using the term class a bit too broadly.

Yes, Hobie has FX1's out in the market... BUT... do boats on the water equate to a class?...
EG a group of racers who agree on a set of rules, a schedule and go racing.

Hobie tossed the boat out there and it did not catch on with racers. ... EG. the intended market... the US Hobie 17 sailors just were not interested. The recreational market is very different and the FX1 fills the same niche as the F16... eg all purpose one or two up boat.

But since the majority of new USA FX1 owners could care less about racing or racing classes.. the performance differences to F16's or Nacra F17's are meaningless. The few FX1 owners trying to gin up interest in the boat as a race boat are fighting a lonely battle. As a class they are inconsequential. In France, I guess the FX1 class morphed into the F104 class.

So, I don't think you can interpret Hobie EU as undercutting a class by producing a slightly different boat. I think the big builders view the world as having two markets, recreational and performance. Moreover, it's always easier to sell "new and improved".

Since you can race ANY boat if you get enough of them. The race class issue is left up to the market to see what catches on and who get's the class organized with a schedule and turnout.

In the USA (It's taken 10 years for the NAHCA to accept or want to accept the recreational Wave as a racing class despite years of success by Rick White et al). When they introduced the roto boats.. HCA USA made it clear to the class association that the boat was intended for the rec market and the HCA was not obligated to support the class if they did not want to. The Wave owners organized on their own.

I think in the US, a Hobie dealer would look at the Wave, Getaway and FX1 as a reasonable upgrade path for a rec sailor who wanted a new boat. The FX1 did not work so now the new iCat boat will have a chance to compete for some market share. "New and improved" always sounds better then... "join the racing class!" if the new owners want to develop a race class... all the better!

Steve Clark (ex Vanguard boats) pointed out to me that they could make a profit on one of the many new dinghy's that they developed. Making money on a class one design boat was tough because the class wants cheap and resists changes that might save money for the builder. The rec sailor wanted the latest in design for fun recreational sailing and would pay for value. Dealers could sell these recreational boats and the owners got a good value.... He thought that the class was responsible for selling the class od boats he made.

PS... Why do you understand Hobie's reluctance to jump into the F16 class? Overlap with the F18's racing demographic. cost differential for building a lightweight boat? Lack of control over the rules limit's profitability long term? Resistance from Hobie 16 OD class?