There is a great crowd of Hobie 20 sailors in Texas - I think they have made a fleet at nearly every regatta I have been to this year. There are also a few who will put spinnakers on the boat for distance races like the Great Texas Catamaran Race and Ruff Riders. The new Tornado spin seems to be a popular option.

The winner of the Great Texas Cat Race in 2004 was a Hobie 20 with a Tornado spin. The boat had an additional set of stays made from high tech fiber rigged from the top of the comp tip to the side stay anchor plates.

Ruffriders was also won by a different Hobie 20, also with a Tornado spinnaker. (Bag launch in both cases I think).

The Hobie 20 is a glorious boat. Very satisfying to sail and crew on. Contrary to some statements made in this post I have not seen it perform faster upwind than the Nacra 20 (another very fine catamaran). Sailing downwind in 12 or more knots it is great to wild-thing a Miracle 20.

What it lacks is a class legal spinnaker. Once you are used to running a spinnaker downwind on a beach cat I think you are spoiled for life. No matter what the attraction of one design (or formula) racing on non-spinnaker boats, I think the adrenaline trip of running a spin out weighs this.

I think this means an inevitable move from non-spin to spinnaker boats (vive le F18!). Before that happens though, long live the Hobie 20 class in it's current form. And may I propose adoption of the Tornado spin, rigged any way you want as an separate class for distance racing - in the style of the Nacra 6.0NA w/New England spin.

Chris.

P.S. I am sad to report that the Nacra 6.0 NA may be declining in Texas. At least one regular has defected to the Nacra 20 camp.