This year's Alter Cup winner is a Capricorn distributer.

Another former Alter Cup winner who currently sails a Tiger told me he thinks the Infusion will be the new boat to beat.

Hull shape made a small but significant difference in the A-cat world, with the Flyer and A-2. To maintain their market lead, Hobie must continue to make small but significant improvements as long as the F18 platform evolves.

If Hobie were to upgrade the hulls without changing the rest of the platform, it would not obsolete the existing tiger fleet more than earlier upgrades did. Upgrading the hulls and calling it a Tiger would be perfectly reasonable, IMHO, as it's just another minor improvement. The only downside is that this minor upgrade is prohibitively expensive, which will alienate some in the short term.

The new bow-piercing designs should help most in short chop, where they can penetrate every second wave, stabilizing the rig aloft compared to the Tiger, giving the new hulls an significant advantage in hobby-horse conditions. The new hulls also have less windage, and the Capricorn is said to plane downwind. Downwind in really rough stuff, I have to wonder if the new hulls are a benefit or a liability compared to the Tiger.

I recently overheard some top SoCal Tiger sailors wondering out loud if buying a new Tiger now would be a wise investment. Well, of course they should wonder until it becomes clear if Hobie will evolve the platform aggressively enough to stay competitive. Hobie must keep these frequent-buyers happy, and I think nothing would reassure them more than a new hull shape.

Of course, I have to agree with MB about the Hobie Rudders: They stink. Marstroms (and AHPCs) have factory set rake for a light helm and no possibility of mis-drilling. The Marstroms, I believe, also have laminar flow sections for less drag when not maneuvering. They are also feather light compared to Hobie's. They also have simple reliable lockdown mechanisms that are more reliable and easier to operate. The only advantage the Hobies have are that they are cheap and sturdy, which makes them good for the vacation rental fleets.