MauganH17 I will agree on the fact that HCUSA is producing mainly (or strictly as you say) recreational pleasure craft…But here’s the problem as I see it. The original Hobie 14 and 16 had a mystique about them…in their day they were perceived as radical…cutting edge…back in the 70’s you might say Hobie Cat Sailing was considered an Extreme Sport. It was marketed brilliantly by Hobie Alter and “Have a Hobie Day” was not just a catchy slogan, it defined a lifestyle. He was already deeply embedded in the Surf Culture long before he came out with a boat…and the Hobie Cat was a natural extension of that life style because the original boat was basically another surf toy. Quickly the emphasis moved from surf play to racing. When you free sail you are always a winner, even a big wipe out and equipment damage can carry bragging rights on the beach. Racing has a whole different vibe; it’s about winning…overcoming your opponent…
Back to the boats…I don’t want to offend anyone but lets be honest the Recreational boats coming out of HCUSA are not going to get the person that envisions himself as Extreme sports guy off a Kite Board/Sailboard or PWC and onto one of their plastic creations. The original Hobie’s had the mystique of being radical while being pretty basic. No one seems to be able to catch that magic again.
There is more competition for the same recreational dollars. For About $11,000 you can get a Seadoo PWC that goes an Honest to God 70 MPH. For the cost of a Hobie Wave you can buy a Windsurfer that an experienced rider can take down to the beach and do 40 MPH right out of the box (with an hour of Sail/Fin/Foot strap tweaking) in the right wind conditions. A Kite boarder can put all his gear in the trunk of a compact car and can buy a new board and a small quiver of kites for near that amount too. Getting jumps as high as the HC Wave's mast.
