Hi Gareth,
"Do you guys know that this is true or is it just an opinion.
Also how do you define robustness, I would say it means more resistant to damage, i.e hitting another object, abrasion from being dragged on a beach and UV damage etc. "
My guess it`s Wouter`s opinion. Like you say, how do you define robustness ?
I think he means that a 5 or even 10 year old Taipan is still a competitive boat at a Nationals, and I don`t know if the Hobie 16 class can claim that. Perhaps the fact that most top H16 sailors replace their boats every year or 2 with brand new ones creates the perception that they don`t have a long competitive lifespan. Or perhaps it`s the other way around. Who knows ? That`s probably a different question altogether though.
I think that collision damage is more difficult to repair on modern construction method boats like foam core epoxy boats. Kevlar probably allows the hulls a little more flex than carbon, which is good if someone hits you gently, like start-line bumper-bashing incidents, but no use in port/starboard accidents while twin-wiring
I think H16`s are still predominately polyester boats with a bit of carbon reinforcing, not sure of the cloth layup, and whether or not they are vacuum bagged or not. The best material to build from is STILL plywood for collision damage repairs, has a higher stiffness to weight ratio than most of the newer materials, and you`d be amazed how many plywood boats I`ve seen "raised from the dead" after huge accidents.
If robustness means you can drag it up and down the beach all day for a year and then have to rebuild your keels, then I don`t know the answer. With what Hobie16`s cost nowadays I think most intellegent H16 sailors will invest in a set of wheels. Their hull shape is probably best for being dragged though, the rounded hulled boats have more contact area with the sand, so you lose more boat per drag. Of course you could take the weight of your beach-wheels and just add it to the boat in the form of extra strips of cloth and resin on the keel line, you might then get close to the weight of a H16 or Dart 18 if you threw you trailer in as well. But you`d have to lose a bit of speed for this benefit, so I`d recommend against it. And the trailer would add too much drag.
Uv damage - most boats are painted or gelcoat to prevent UV damaging the boats. Ultimately if a Taipan can last through Australian summers then I think it`s proven itself. (The Auzzies are easy to find - they live right under the hole in the ozone that the Americans don`t believe exists.)
Apologies to anyone I`ve annoyed with this answer, it`s Friday, my sense of humour is sometimes difficult to explain, and I`m suffering from sleep deprivation.
Have a great weekend, go sailing if you can. (The nice thing about H16`s is you Northern folks can sail them on frozen lakes.)
Steve, temporarily insane.
