The main reason I left Hobie is they don't make a boat that fit my needs. I had a 16 and 18 but when I got older and gained weight I could not compete with the lighter crews. The F18 class offers different sails and adding weight to equal the boats. The A cat offer different sails and mast to equal boats. Hobie really just supports the H16 now since they don't make the 14,17,18,20 any more.
I guess I don't understand what OD racing is that HC talks about. I thought it was the same boats racing together like H16, H17, N20, F18, Acat. I don't understand why they have to have there own regatta with HC only to sail OD. The A cats, F18, N20, M24, Laser, sunfish, shark all sail at the same regatta and are OD. Look at last years Spring Fever results http://www.twinhulls.com/springfever2009/09results1/ there was only one open class for a few odd boats all others had there OD class. Why does HC not promote the H16 and have a east coast championship at that event it would cost them nothing and may bring more boats to there class.
I think it is great you compare Hobie to Harley. I just picture mostly over weight women in little clothes with lots of skin art smoking and being drunk oh and mud wrestling. Guys with lots of leather, skin art really loud bikes. I think that fits great with the Hobie Cat way of life.
HCA might want to update the divisions and fleet list some of the ones I looked at were several years old. I would guess that most fleets listed do not fit the HCA bylaws by being active at least the ones in NC.
Bingo!
For our area, the open class is our lead-in. Grab whatever you can find and come on out and see what it is all about. Don't want to scare the pants of somebody by starting them in a N20 or A-Cat. But if you want to move to an OD boat you now have the choice of N20, A-Cat, and F-16. If those don't fit, start drumming up others and start to build a fleet within the regular open racing, or buy want and continue open class. I'm really happy that a 16 footer (F-16) seems to be the next class being built at WRSC out of the WRCRA scene. For awhile I thought the H-16 would be a great choice, but I've come to believe that the F-16 is the best choice. Why? It can be raced heads up either singlehand and uni or 2-up as sloop. The spin satisfies those of us that are just addicted to spinnakers (spins are not oversized). Multiple manufacturers (would love to see a Hobie F-16). Sail/race by yourself, sail/race with your kid, sail/race with your sig other. Swiss Army knife flexibility in a nice fast boat. But now I'd have to add another to the reasons - not having to deal with this crap.
I love the Hobies I have sailed/raced in the past (in the future I could see owning an 18 again as a beach buster), and I gladly welcome any boat to our Tuesday night action (bring on the AquaCats!). We're about promoting multihull sailing, and indoctrinating newbies into the dark side. They rarely go back. The exclusionary attitudes being displayed here are the last thing that will be helpful in that mission.
