I don't think so. The hull profile is similar to some of the current A designs but that's about it. It is 200mm shorter than an A although that doesn't disqualify it. However it is 200mm wider and has 16sqm of sail when the A limit is 13.94sqm. Both of those disqualify it. There is no mention of the weight in the specs which would also be a critical performance factor. My guess is it's just another orphan class boat being used as a marketing attempt to sell a few more boats - not what we need!
There have been rumours over the last few years of Hobie entering the A Class - even a strong one that they would have a boat at the Worlds event three events ago in France. Nothing appeared. The video is interesting in that the sailor looks like Mitch Booth who has an A Class background - but not much recently.
It seems a difficult fit to me for Hobie to enter the A Class arena from a manufacturing and culture perspective. They have no history in building high tech, light boats built to very close tolerances. No disrespect to their current boats, but it requires a whole new mindset, skillset and equipment to build an 18 foot boat down to 75kg as opposed to 180kg and still have it strong and stiff. In the current market it seems a whole lot easier to make and build plastic boats and kayaks. There is also the Hobie business model where all equipment including sails must come from Hobie. That wouldn't fit the A Class model where development and innovation are constant and parts are tried and developed from all sources to continually push the envelope in performance. As an example, I think Hobie have struggled with the reality that most people who want to be competitive in the F18 class at higher levels have used sails from other sailmakers. To their credit though they have responded to the Tiger joining the dead boat society at international level by producing a more up to date boat. I'm not sure though that they could stand the pace of innovation attempts in the A Class.
They probably looked at the ill-fated Nacra attempt to enter the class with the A2. It failed even though they simply took over building and marketing an already developed boat from established class builders.
Anyway, I don't want to offend any brand loyalties here and I hope they do give it a go. If any big manufacturer can do it Hobie Europe would be the one.
Cheers
John Dowling
AUS9