I'm planning to buy a Wave, and I was just wondering if anyone has experience with the optional backrests. Are they worth it, or are they an annoyance?<br><br>

I think they are an annoyance. When you have them there, it's difficult to hike out in heavier air. I'd say skip it!
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<br>Fair winds,
<br>
<br>Tim J.<br><br>Hobie 20 #541
<br>Bald Eagle Yacht Club, Fleet 52
<br>White Bear Lake, MN

I bought backrests, and they're wonderful in light air or with other people on the boat. However, in heavy air they interfere with hiking out. You can't hike out from the backrests because the padding rolls under you (and they're not meant for sitting on anyway)... and you would need a tiller extension in order to do so if you solved the rolling problem. I've used mine twice in a year, and they're pretty expensive for such minimal usage... Janet
<br><br><br>Janet Caffee
<br>Melrose, Florida

I had a chance to sail a 'Wave' last weekend.
<br> I think my recliner in my couch has more acceleration, and certainly more excitement than this boat.
<br>If you want backrests, just look for a nice recliner chair, you'll probably enjoy it more. And if you're looking for sailing excitement in a boat about the same size and speed, get a laser!
<br>my 2cents<br><br>

In answer to you original question, I really see no need for these racks as an additive -- they will just get in your way, heed your ability to hike when the wind pipes, add additional weight to the boat, and cost you more money.
<br>In answer to the Wave Snob, we know the boat is not the fastest in the world (after all, just look at the Portsmouth Number and you can see that) but it really points well, sails nicely in seas, tacks easily, is hard to capsize, easy to right, and more one-design than any other boat out there.
<br>Racing these boats gets down to the ability of the sailor since there is very little tuning that can be done to make one boat faster than the other.
<br>Witness the Nationals for the past three years -- 65 boats registered last year, 60 the previous year, and 30 the very first year it was in existance. Someone must like them more than a recliner.
<br>I have a hunch you are probably a better sailor in your easy chair than you are on the water, hence your reply! Just kidding! But certainly before you start avering negatives about a boat you should have more than one outing on it.
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<br>By the way, the Wave really loves heavy air. At the Midwinters East the previous year we had a really nice class of Waves. On the second day it was blowing 20-30 and we all had a blast.
<br>The guys on the hot 20-footers said later that they wished they had been on Waves. Lots of pitchpolin' was a goin' on!
<br>
<br>At any rate, have fun and sail something..,
<br> besides a recliner!
<br>Rick<br><br>Rick White
<br>Catamaran Sailor Magazine
<br>email: rick@catsailor.com

Hi Todd, A good sailor down the bay here in Toledo has a nice Laser II and I easily sail faster than it on my Wave. After seeing that, he asked me about getting a Wave for the reasons Rick mentions, plus it has practically no maintenance! That allows for more sailing time or more recliner time instead of more boat care/repair time. The boat is the quickest, by far, in getting into the water and being put away after sailing, again allowing for more of your available time to be out sailing instead of rigging or de-rigging. So, Todd, it really is a quick boat. If you really want to see how quick it can sail, come to this year's nationals and see how fast a lot of them sail away from yours! <br><br>

Howdy,
<br>
<br>I had a WAVE for the last year and really had a blast on it. As mentioned, it is definitely the fastest boat getting onto the water and getting off...and TRUST ME - that can be very important to having a good time.
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<br>I recently went to the I17 mainly because most of the local races seem to be the "distance" type things that are impractical on the WAVE, plus I was looking for a higher performance boat that had a Portsmouth Number closer to the range of boats that are more frequently raced in my area; but, I'm already missing the extra hour it takes to put the I17 together and apart, plus the almost insurmountable problem of solo mast-stepping a bigger boat.
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<br>I used one of the WAVEs from KeySailing last winter that had the backrests and they make hiking out practically impossible.
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<br>In response to Todds comment: I had a Laser and the WAVE and the only thing about the Laser is that if you are anywhere close to my weight of 175 (180?!) the Laser, being a flat bottomed boat is just too sensitive to weight distribution in anything but heavy air - it really takes a lot of the fun out of it - or at least it did for me. The WAVE was 100% more fun, and I sold the Laser shortly after getting the WAVE.
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<br>Enjoy,
<br>
<br>Mark MacNeil<br><br>

As many folks know I am the director/instructor of Rick White's Sailing Seminars and do clinics for cats and for monohulls.
<br>Each spring we have a week-long camp for Laser, Sunfish, Bytes, or whatever other dinghy.
<br>And the chap that is my guest expert is on the Olympic Laser Team -- in other words, pretty hot.
<br>He stayed around for some beercan racing one Wednesday night and race his Laser against the Waves.
<br>Results were surprising. I though the Laser would be faster upwind and slower off the wind. Just the opposite -- I pulled far ahead upwind, but when heading straight downwind the Laser started catching up. The Wave didn't plane, the Laser did.
<br>Keep in mind this sailor was young, strong and at the top of his game, and I am an old man.
<br>
<br>One more point. The Laser is priced at around $5000, while the street price on a Wave is just over $3000.
<br>The Laser holds a maximum of one person, the Wave hold 19 before it sinks (see the latest issue for evidence as seen at the Special Olympics, and if you are not a subscriber, click the following to subscribe http://www.catsailor.com/cs_order.html)
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<br>Go Waves! Down with Wave Snobs!
<br>Rick<br><br>Rick White
<br>Catamaran Sailor Magazine
<br>email: rick@catsailor.com

and if you like the Wave so much, you should be.
<br>
<br>Come on guys, it was a humorous post.
<br>
<br>Yes, the set up is quick. Yes, it's probably great in heavy air, I was only in about 8knts. Yes, it's way more stable than a Laser will ever be. Yes, it's really focuses on the skipper when racing class. Yes, it has a place in the world!
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<br><br><br>

Hay Rick what is the youngest sailor you have seen race/sail the Wave successfully, and did they sail it solo? My kids ages are 3, 6, 6, & 9.<br><br>

I Believe my grandson was 9 when he sailed it. He's gone now -- his Mom took him to a landlocked area of the world.
<br>Rick<br><br>Rick White
<br>Catamaran Sailor Magazine
<br>email: rick@catsailor.com