a few questions
1 in the hobie catalouge the rudder blade for wave, getaway, 16, 17, and 18 are all the same part number so is it safe to assume that they are all the same blade?

to race class legal in say hobies do all the parts on the boat have to be genuine hobie?

you can buy a standard blade and a racer blade for 2.5 time the money what is the difference?

thanks

dave

With a few minor exceptions (like pins and shackles), all parts like, rigging, trampoline, sails, mast, rudders, etc. must be OEM (in your case Hobie). Find a copy of your class rules - it will all be specified in there.

Regarding the rudders, the least expensive rudders are molded from plastic while the 'racing' versions are a much stiffer composite layup. The plastic ones will tend to flex a lot if you are in choppy or confused conditions. Yes, they are all the same from the Wave to the 18 - only the hole locations change slightly and I believe you drill those out once you receive new blades. If you are in the market for a replacement, keep an eye on E-bay. They're on there frequently.

Check this NAHCA web page out for Hobie class rules. The major components must be from Hobie, but they give you a little leeway on many things that do not affect the performance of the boat.

http://www.nahca.org/resources/ihca_rulebook_fx13.pdf