I have to add my 2 cents worth. The H16 is anything but on its last leg in boat sales or as the largest racing class. I am lucky enough to be involved with the class and am constantly monitoring the class. Last year many new Hobie fleets started up and the majority of these fleets are predominantly H16's. The H16 youth racing is alive and well with a new deal being set up with the ISAF (more on that later). If you think the Dragoon is going to replace the H16 as a youth boat you are wrong as the boat is designed for junior age sailors and is to small for older teenage boys or girls for that matter. Hobie never intended the Dragoon to replace the H16. The H16 Worlds continue to be large, those vying for the right to sail in the Pan Am Games are always hotly contested, the new common wealth games and ISAF worlds are on H16's only, and the Hobie events around the world continue to see the fleets maintain or grow. H16 sales are still strong. For the fiber glass (and other fiber materials) boats the H16 still remains the number one seller world wide and is not to far behind Wave sales, but is ahead of the Wave in sales world wide. Some think the Wave will become a strong racing class but this is not likely especially now that the new Bravo has come out. The F16 class will do well but mark my words in just a few years some other fad will come along with something perceived as bigger and better, and faster. Just two years ago the T4.9 was considered the boat of the future and now look there are more and more F16 boats coming out and now the T4.9 is just one of many F16 boats. Really if I want speed it would not be in the F16 class but more like in the Tri-Foiler boat or Rave, and other futuristic designs coming down the line. Lets not forget all the talk about new 16 and 18 foot plaining skim ing cats, kind of makes one head spin. My wife and I love to sail but not enough to buy a new boat every year or to, to stay competitive.
H16 Trapseat racing is having a great impact and is enjoyed by many. Last year was the first Trapseat worlds and was a great success. I look forward to another 30 years of strong class racing and it will be interesting to see what new designs will be out there and I assure you there will be people 30 years from now saying the same thing, that the H16 class is on its last legs, and blah, blah, blah.
I do thinks some up grades will be nice for the H16, and I look forward to using spinnakers on the H16 for distance racing, but I agree that the H16 should remain a one-design non spinnaker class. Maybe have some special H16 spinnaker races for those who want it or just use your spinnaker in the x-class or for distance racing. Oh yes the H16 is hardly slow compared to the new designs as based on world wide non-hobie race results. The H16 also placef second in the Telex regatta for 2002 in very rough conditions. I know some will say it got second on corrected time but still this was a great accomplishment, and actually did great on non-corrected time finishing in front of many F16 and 18 boats. Oh did you notice that the F16 class was smaller than in previous years for 2002 Telex. Don’t get me wrong I do think the F16 class is great for those who need that type of racing and techy-ness.
We just started a multihull group in my area and guess what its 95 percent H16's. Just pick up the Hobie news letter and check out their results, in almost every event the H16 is the predominant class in all but a few regattas. Even in non-Hobie races, they have great turnouts, as I know most active H16 sailors mostly schedule in Hobie regatta as I do.
I am not trying to boast but the facts are clear and it is obvious that actually the H16 class is going through another growth phase. Also do not take this as an attack on any other class as I think we need all types of multihull classes to grow the sport. Obviously, the H16 class is not for everyone yet there are a large percentage of sailors that enjoys H16 racing, and fun one-design racing.
Ok I will get off my soapbox now! Happy sailing!
