Holy crap, how did this turn into bash the FXone class?

The FXone can be righted with a bag in lighter air singlehanded. Even at minimum weight. I weigh anywhere from right at minimum (157lbs) to 5 lbs over. Trust me I right it all the time. When the wind is up it can be righted with out the bag.


In the area I live there is one dominating class, and that is the H16. It may have better numbers, but in no way would I call it strong. There is just no other Hobie boats. A few H20's, a Tiger, some H14's, that's about it. I can't really say why the FXone didn't catch on. Its a great ride, a pig, but it dances very well for her weight. Like Mike said earlier in the thread, the build quality is excellent too. The biggest problem with the HCE boats in the U.S. is the price. I'd be very surprised if a H16 cost much more than an FXone or a Tiger to produce. The materials and labor can not be that different. Figure HCE has to make a profit, it has to be shipped, there's a tariff on it for being imported, HC U.S. has to make a profit, the dealers have to make a profit, and the exchange rate maybe better for us than it was last year, but the euro has almost always been higher than the USD. Thats five things that are raising the price! HC U.S. isn't interested in producing performance boats anymore, that's obvious. That's not a bad thing, except to those who live in a Hobie area. Gotta go where the money is, I totally understand that.

The FXone is faster than its portsmouth number, I know this for a fact. I'm a hack at the tiller and can get it to its number pretty easily.

Two reasons I would buy a iCat over other manufactures, depsite the inflated price.
1. I can still play in the Hobie sandbox. Their regatta's are still the closest for me.
2. Build quality/design.

Heck, I might go to an A-cat. I'm the right weight, and I'm tall, it'd be a good fit. I love running the spinnaker, but I do crash alot because of it.