How fast (in knots) have you guys managed to get your Hobie 16's to go? I never had a GPS but the couple times I sailed a Hobie 16, it seemed pretty fast, maybe 12 knots?

they (Hobie) used to advertise 22.5 knots (25.9 mph) <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I've never put the GPS on our 16 but my son swears we've been airborne, more than once, while on a screaming reach <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My grandson and I got up to 18 mph (by GPS) and there were a couple of times when I couldn't look at it and we were going faster. I believe we were over 20 mph that day. He was out on the wire and weighed about 120 lbs. at that time. I was on the tramp. Had we both been out, we may have gone even faster.

Howard

Wow! 20+ knots, not bad. I don't know if you guys read my other post titled "Lowering mast on Hobie 16" but now that my wife and I are looking into getting a new boat, were stuck between the Hobie 16 and the Hobie Tiger. But seeing how fast the Hobie 16 is, that might be the boat for us. We really just want something performance oriented (fast) but also fairly easy to sail.

You'll find the 16 easy to sail. few strings to pull and once you've done it a few times, about a half hour to set up.

Depending on your weight the FXone is a good option as well compared to the Tiger. You can set it up with a self tacking jib, and the kite. The Tiger demands alot from the crew member.

With the GPS I hit a top speed of 27.9 mph on a H16 once. It was survival windy. Two years ago at Yankton at the distance race, Flatlander could expand on conditions that day.

Ahh yes Yankton, putting it mildly the conditions were nuclear. What I would have given to be on a 16 that day! First four boats were H16's, the winner only two minutes out of having line honors (over a "loaded" H20 that finished 7th corrected), carrying an average speed of 15 mph over a 29 mile course.

Hope conditions there are a bit calmer next week <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

What is a self-tacking jib? And is the fx one able to enter races, is there a special class for it? We want something we can race eventually as well.

There is a curved track on the front of the boat that allows the car to go from one side of the boat to the other. You don't have to uncleat the jib, and grab the lazy sheet on the oposite side to tack. There is just one line. It's so your crew can concentrate on the spinnaker while going down wind.

As far as racing goes there there isn't much at the moment for one design. The boat is fairly new in the U.S. and there isn't that many around yet. The numbers are steadily increasing though. Handicap racing is always an option too.