I found this on the European Hobie cat web site.

Secondly, Hobie Cat Europe is pursuing the development of a high-tech Hobie Cat Class A that will probably make its first appearance on the regatta scene at the Class A World Championships organised in Sanguinet (France) from 18th to 24th June 2005). More information will follow in due course.


I would like to welcome Hobie cat to the world of light weight, high performance catamarans that have long been missing from their inventory. Now you can be a Hobie purist and sail a wonderful boat. I hope Hobie USA will import these boats as soon as possible. I would also recommend you consider using Hall Masts and Ashbey sails for the boats if you are going to import them. I think exciting times are ahead for Hobie Cat. The one cautionary note I have is that A class sailors expect a higher standard of build quality than many others in the Hobie family. As an A-catter and former Hobie owner, I would expect that any product would have to have top quality fittings, weight 160 lbs or less and be stiff and with a modern wavepiercer hull shape. I would also note that in exchange, most A-catters are willing to pay 15-20K for the boat. Good Luck and welcome to a Brave new world!

Eric Anderson US 28

(Okay I couldn't resist)

- The one cautionary note I have - is that I really don't wish to see an editors colom in HCA newsletter jan 2006 explaining :

"In Europe the *A-cat* class scene is a powerful force and they all like to see the development of the class. My impression is that this will slowly get out of control, as professionals get involved in the class and begin buying their victories with exotic sails and materials. My hope is that our more controlled development class with the *Hobie A* will provide a more desirable class for many of these sailors when they begin to be disenchanted with the expense that would be required to do well in the *A-cat* class."

As always you heard it first from Wouter, right here on catsailors forum !


(p.s. replace *A-cat* by 'F18' and *Hobie A* by 'Hobie Tiger' and you'll get the exact words of an article in the HCA newsletter jan 2005)

We will see.

While A class sailors demand light construction, many / most of the existing Hobie customer base demands durability. We went through that with the Hobie 17. It started out lite and ended up heavier and stronger. Many Hobie sailors just don't care for the boats as well as they should. This is a tough line to walk and a warranty nightmare. That being my department as well... always makes me concerned.

Matt,
Existing A class boats are robust IF they are built well. They seem to have about the same dent resistance as Inter 17-20's They don't take well to T-boning and when you pitchpole them in big wind you stand a chance of breaking the mast. In a year of sailing at Bristol Yacht club with about 10-12 a cats, none broke masts 1 had hull damage from a collision (t-Bone) Repaired and one had bow damage when the skipper fell off while righting it and it sailed into the rocks. The previous owner of my boat had a mast broken when someone hit him while trailering.
All and all my boat has been completely trouble free. I do not however sail it up the beach, drag it etc.

Eric Anderson

I have got to express my respect to Hobie EU

After thinking it through I think we must comment Hobie Europe from walking this path.

Knowing A-cat sailors and the products that are being made by the competition (Marstrom, Ventilo, AHPC, Eigner, Melvin Morelli) I think we must chapeau Hobie for picking a fight in the big league (with respect to technology and quality of production).

I'm not sure wether Hobie has made a deal with an older A-cat builder and only markets the boat, as Nacra has done, but if they are going to design it themselfs, build it themselfs and optimize it themselfs then I applaud their boldness.

First of all the rig, this will be completely new to them. Wingmasts and carbon masts.

Secondly fittings. If you ain't producing carbon daggerboards of less then 1.5 kg, carbon rudders less than 1 kg and carbon stocks less than 0.5 then you ain't playing the game. Same for carbon beams.

Then they have to design and produce a hull that weights in at about 14 kg's. Take note 17 foot FX-one hulls weight in at about 35 kg's and are the lightest hulls of about 18 foot length they ever made. Now they have to make 2 of them and still come out 7 kg lighter than 1 FX hull. This is serious laminate work if it needs to hold up.

And then they have got to get the hull shape right. In the A-class you'll get eaten alive when the hull shape is not fully up to the job. Remember the Bim Javelin A ? Remember the Boyer mark 5 ? Also remember Hobie-FOX in the F20 class. If you don't succeed the first time you have to have the will and resources to redesign the item and try again. Bim XJ ? Boyer aussie Flyer ? Hobie F20 ?

Marstrom makes good boats but even that brilliant company is having a hard time getting to the Top in the A-cat market. The design just has to be perfect. If it isn't the sailors will ignore the design altogether and buy what ever the champ is sailing.

This serious stuff and there is no market for a "Robust A-cat" that is a little less optimal ; Remember the Bim A One-design class with alu beams higher min weight of 80 kg's and glass boards that was launched in 2002 ? You are forgiven if you don't remember that one. And that Bim costed only 10.000 Euro's a boat; a darn good deal for a A-cat.

The more I think about it the more I must admit that my respect for Hobie's courage to boldly go into uncharted territory growths.

I'll sure be keeping my eye on this development !

Wouter

Wouter,

Please tell us what happened to the BIM Javelin A in Europe: this is the heavier conventional fiberglass/foam 80 kg boats, right? It has the same hull shape as the Javelin.

Simple,

It didn't happen.

Wouter


(Note I'm ONLY talking about the BIM One-Design A-class here not their normal A-cats or other boats)