I think everyone is taking the number of boats produced incorrectly as $ other Hobie manufacturers did not put there figures on the web site.

As for the “old design”, The standard Hobie 16 won some of the races at the ISAF Youth trial in Quiberon. Yes it beat all these modern design in a windward leeward race. Just 2 years also the standard Hobie 16 won Round Texel race, the biggest catamaran race in the world. While the result was on handicap but the Hobie 16 beat many of these “modern” boats across the finish line.

The largest multihull world championships last year was again the Hobie 16.

Facts are the Hobie 16 is still the most popular multihull in the world both racing and recreationally. Now ISAF want to replace the boat with a boat that less than 10 have been produced world wide. Unless they including the SL15.5 as the SL 16 to get their numbers.

Whether you like the Hobie 16 or not the facts are there and if people took off their biased hats and looked at multihull sailing and getting youth involved it most be the cheap, available boat. That still remains at present the Hobie 16.