I have sailed my whole life (mostly monohulls). Two years ago I purchased a 1985 Hobie 17 to go sailing with my son. Unfortunately I can really only use it single-handidly since I weigh 210 lbs and he is 190 and growing. First of all, with that much weight on a H17, it kills performance. Secondly, it doesn't leave much room for my other 2 children!

So I'm in the market for a cat (with a jib) that can easily carry my family. While I have never raced, my son and I would also like to start competing. So having a boat that performs well would be nice. Over the next 2 years, I expect to race (in the Philly area) about 30-40% of the time, and use the boat recreationally 60-70%.

I have my sights on a 1993 H18SX, but am also interested in a Nacra 6.0 built in 2000. The Nacra is about $500 more.

I'm interested in hearing from other sailors that sail most recreationally, but sometimes compete. What do you think would make the most sense for us? Would the Nacra be too much boat? Is it too delicate for recreational sailing? How about the TheMightyHobie18? Can it carry 4 people well? Is it too dated for racing?

I would appreciate any and all feedback - Thank You!

Either the Nacra 6.0 or the Hobie 18SX would be a good choice considering your size and number of crew. I've never sailed a Nacra 6.0, but I have a lot of time on a standard Hobie 18 and Hobie 20 (similar to N6.0). I would say at your and your son's size, bigger is better. Even though the SX18 has a slightly larger rig than a standard 18, I think you're still going to be a little bogged down, especialy if you are sailing with 3 or 4 big people. The Nacra is probably a bit floatier. Also, at only $500 more and 7 years newer, unless the thing has been run over by a cement truck, the 6.0 is probably the way to go.
As for racing, either one of these boats would almost certainly be raced in the handicaped fleet because there aren't many of either in your area. There is a small but active group of standard (non-SX) TheMightyHobie18 racers that race in the area. And there's a fairly large and active hobie fleet right in your area, up a Lake Nockamixon, fleet 416 which you might check out.

Hands down I think the best choice is the N6.0. The Nacra is one of the best boats for handling weight, and you will appreciate the weight on the wire when the wind comes up. It can be an intimidating boat, but it can also be depowered by just furling the jib. The Nacra is the Dodge Viper of cat sailing.
Dave

I agree about the Nacra being the only choice between those two, considering the number of people and the weight you are going to be putting on the boat.

I just want to add that there is nothing "delicate" about the Nacra 6.0. It is a very strong, well-built boat. And, even though you are used to monohulls, you will find the Nacra 6.0 very responsive and very easy to tack.

No contest. Nacra 6.0 is the better boat for you. Like posted earlier, unless the 6.0 has been abused, it is most definitely worth $500 more than the Hobie 18SX that is 7 years older. I still have my 1992 Nacra 6.0 and still race it occasionally when not on the ARC. I weigh 240# amd my crew is at 200#. When we double trap, it is blowing, and we go fast!. The boat handles the weight with no problem. We've cruised on it with 5 adults, but that is certainly not the norm.

Buy the Nacra 6.0 and don't look back. It will race, cruise, and like Mary said, it is not fragile to say the least.

Just my 2 cents.

I spent last summer sailing a TheMightyHobie18 and purchased a N6.0 by the end of the season....the 18 was not an SX, but from what I know about the sx, I think my experience on the 18 Magnum should translate closely. I think everyone else here is giving you good advice so far. THe dif between the two boats is quite significant. If you had little or no sailing experience, I would point you to the Hobie 18 as it is a much more docile boat, however....your weight (especially with your crew) will be a significant problem. The N6.0 has a lot more bouyancy and can handle the weight. As far as performance, when I moved to the 6.0 it was like going from a chevy to a porche!! One thing to be aware of though is that the 6.o having been built as a performance boat will not take as much abuse (running it up on the beach) as the 18 (which is a tank!!). Given what you have said, I would definitely go with the Nacra and although it has a lot more controls, many of them you can just set at max de-powered (so-to-speak) while you learn the boat and then pick them up as you get comfortable. I would also recommend putting a jib furler on if it does not have one already so if you find yourself in a tough situation with heavy wind you can furl it while on the water to depower more.

Good luck, and hope to see you on the race course!!

Joe

Bill...If you do decide to go with the Hobie we would love to have you join us in Fleet 416. We are a strong and active fleet and right in Bucks County...Dan

New England is the strong hold for the Nacra 6.0NA...not too far from you (at least not as far as for me!). The 18sx is rated slower than the regular 18 - even WITH the spinnaker on the SX! I had a Hobie 18 and it's a great boat but the 6.0 is king of handling crew weight and like everyone else said, $500 difference for a 7 year newer boat is a no brainer.

so much hobie-hating

What is the arc like compared to the nacra? What are the better/worse points?

what arc?

Dude - I don't think it's a anti-Hobie thing at all, and I hope you don't either. There's a HUGE difference between these two particular boats, and $500 is not much money for the jump to the newer one... even through we don't know the prices the guy's working with.

And I'm sure we all meant to welcome him to area sailing events regardless of the brand he chooses. It's tough enough to get new folks into the scene without tacit participation barriers. Happy to say we got a new Hobie 16 sailor from New Mexico here in the Panhandle last week.

I wasn't being serious.

I realize the Nacra's the better boat... just sad to see the 18 fade away I guess. :P

If you're asking the difference between the ARC boats and the Nacra boats, there is plenty. Beam width (12' for ARC 20 and 22 vs. 8'6" for Nacra) immediately comes to mind. That's huge when it comes to handling weather, as well as square footage for the family (cooler, radio, etc.). The only drawback is that you can't trailer something 12' wide, so you would have to assemble it if you travel a lot.

As you can see, a well sailed ARC is competitive (BRoberts won Steeplechase two weeks ago) in distance (and has a "sweet" rating), and is (according to the designer's view) built solid (the hole in that red one at Steeplechase notwithstanding - no boat is bulletproof).

Not much of a fleet of ARC here in FL, but they are out there...

We have 5 ARC 22s here in the Florida Panhandle (Pensacola-Ft. Walton). Granted that is not like the Hobie 16 with classes from novice to A fleet, but 5 boats usually makes a class at a regatta. We're looking forward to that this year.

You need to talk my "neighbor" into getting his ARC 22 over to the Mug Race! You guys going to have a fleet there this year?

I know the stats on the boats, but what they don't tell you is how well the boat handles, layouts, best points, worst points.

We are definitely talking it up traveling to regattas this year. The Mug Race is on our schedule. We will be trying to get all 5 over there. Tell your "neighbor" to plan for it now. The more the merrier.

Pitchpole Dave,

Not sure what you're looking for here specifically, but I'd be glad to answer any question that I could about the boat. I've been on it a little over a year. As far as good points, there are many for me. The deck is clean, and the layout is fantastic. There is one jib sheet and one line for the main traveler. Both exit at the front crossbeam at the base of the mast. The crew takes care of both and can run them both trapped out. In fact, the skipper never has to touch the mainsheet. Once it's sheeted in the traveler takes care of all the de-powering. This system works great. All lines are run underneath the tramp out of the way. We've ran 20 miles double trapped at 22-23 knots and never missed a beat. The boat has a 12 foot beam, so you can imagine the room. We are two big guys and never run into each other like we do on the Nacra. It has a self tacking jib, so there is no adjustment going up wind. It helps to roll tack it. This boat also weighs less than the Nacra 6.0. Come to think of it, we weigh more than the boat. Handling? Well, like a Cadillac. Bad points - none for me, although I'm sure others will complain about set up and take down time. Yes, you do have to disassemble the crossbeams to get it on the trailer, but that doesn't bother me. By two people that know what they're doing, this time can be minimized. It usually takes about 1 1/2 hours +/- each way. A little less to take down.

Hope this helps.

The minimum weight for the ARC22 specified is 5 lbs less than the 6.0's specified actual weight (415 and 420lbs) - I'm not sure how correct the terminology is on the websites. While I would be surprised if either weighed to these specs, it would be interesting to see where both boats actually came out - have you weighed your ARC22?

Jake