A Hobie 17 weighs about 320 lbs. An A-Cat should weigh about 165 lbs. When I sailed the A-Cat what I immediately understood, because I could feel it, was that the boat weighs less than I do. You really feel everything on the boat. Every movement you make goes through the boat.

Image riding a beach cruiser bicycle of about 40 lbs. Then get on a racing bicycle at just under 20 lbs. The reaction and acceleration are the first things that you will notice. That is a pretty good comparison.

I have not seen too many Hobie 17s doing the wild thing downwind. On an A-Cat that is your first concern going around the weather mark. "Can it fly?" and if so "Do I lose too much real estate to make up in speed?"

The Hobie 17 is a nice one-design racer. I do not know the areas that are really big on racing them right now. They had a good number at the Nationals so I am sure there are places. Here, on the West Coast, there are not many of them showing up to regattas.

Price wise a used 17 is really cheap. A used A-Cat is $6,000 to $12,000 maybe more (ie. not cheap), and that depends on competitiveness.

A Cat is a very easy boat to set up alone. That includes pushing it around soft sand. Hobie 17 at the weight of a Hobie 16 may take some help getting around the beach and on the trialer.

Later,
Dan