Wildest Looking Hobie Sails

Hobie sails are well known for their colors, especially the older sails. But a few folks can't leave things alone, so they 'create' their own colors and graphics.
So, what are the wildest and craziest Hobie sails you've ever seen??? (Pictures are always appreciated by all.)

I've never seen one like mine before. Came from ebay and I guess after all the trouble it was to get it I should show it off and find out who knows about it(year,shape). It seems to have added material at the bottom along the boom that creates a pocket for air and curves the sail. Do all sails have this? Wasn't sure.

Nice looking sails. Just guessing by the number, I would think that the sails are from a National race boat and are relatively new, because of the radial cut. The extra material along the boom is typical of all H16 sails that I've seen.
Jack

looks like one of the mylar sails of the early 90's.

I'm sure Matt B can tell you about them, he had one for a while.

take a look at this

http://www.hobiecat.com/hobieclass/eHCA_News03-04_2006.pdf Page 18 Execpt for the colors do not match, it looks like 145

Sam

Mylar Hobie 16 sails were offered for just a couple years in the 90's. We had a dacron cloth availability issue and the owners of Hobie Cat, at the time, were also trying to spice up the 16 a bit. We had to design the mylar sail to fit the standard battens and have performance very similar to the standard dacron versions. Never really went over and was cancelled shortly after. The sails were maybe better in stiff winds, but racers never really adopted them.

I had a hard time with the research on the mylar color patterns because of their limited availability. The purple and orange weren't on any brochures that I had from that era, so I had to guess at them using photos from the nationals (and a magnifying glass).

I had a set of all-white mylar sails on my 16 from '92 - '97. The jib delaminated pretty quick. The main was fuller than most of the mylar mains that I saw and worked fairly well. The set went with the boat when I sold it in the summer of '97.

269 is definatly a mylar sail from, like, 1992. Seems like there were no standard color schemes for the mylar sails. Each one was a little different, except for Purple Rain, loved that scheme. My mylar was 414. Doubt I have any digital pics of that sail but I will check this weekend. The mylars were cut way too flat and the jibs could not stand the usual H16 jib abuse. They kicked butt in heavy air but anything below 10 kts. was just painful.

Seem to remember a sail from the 70's (1976 prolly): Red and white panels with a big blue center section with the 13-star, Betsy Ross pattern in the middle. Very cool looking and patriotic too!

Right now I have white + white = boring. Oh, well!

Yes, it was 1976 and called "Spirit of '76". See number 21 on page 21 on the below link. There are Hobie sails from all of the years on this link as well. Enjoy! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
http://www.hobiecat.com/hobieclass/eHCA_News03-04_2006.pdf

Is this Purple Rain?

Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mi'sippi

Here's mylar sail #493

That looks just like my 414, but it's not Purple Rain. Purple Rain was different colors of purple in the various panels. Only saw one or two "live".

Jerome - that photo is of the "Mardi Gras" sail pattern.

Chris - do you have any documentation (like a brochure) that the purple mylar (#126 in the pattern chart) was named "Purple Rain"?

Jack - that's the only one of it's kind I've seen - It looks a lot like one of the 17 patterns.

BTW, I'm working on a poster of the sail patterns for Hobie Cat & I'd like to get all of this stuff nailed down.

A poster? How do I get on the list to get one?

Guess those Californians don't know much about Mardi Gras colors! The sails remind me a little more of San Francisco rather than New Orleans, anyway!

I don't really like the sails' looks or performance, but they came as an extra set with the boat, and they make a great beater set...especially on those big air, fun-sailing days (until they totally delaminate, at least).

Thanks for the info, Matt!

Jerome

I bought that H16 from a guy in Columbus, Ohio who was a big racer (can't think of his name right now). These sails were one of three sets that came with the boat and could of been from a National Boat when they were held in Michigan in the early 90s.
Jack

Maybe Jamie Diamond?

Yes, it was Jamie Diamond. Thanks much!

Matt for the win with the "Mardi Gras" call.

I have only my foggy memory for "Purple Rain". A couple of the Carolina guys had Purple Rain and at least one had Jack's yellow scheme. Most likely from Sail & Ski Connection in Myrtle Beach, SC or the old Ship's Store in Wrightsville Beach, NC if that is any help.

I knew I had seen that boat before! (#393)

Jamie and I both bought boats from the '89 Nationals in Chicago (the last year of provided boats until last year)

Jamie had the blue color scheme (#115 in the color chart); I had the teal (#117). My boat turned out to be really heavy (345#), so I sold it in '92.

Jamie later bought one of the mylar sails for his boat. I'll have to add the color pattern to the "unnamed mylar" section.

Chris - can you e-mail or post a photo of the "Purple Rain" pattern? The only example that I have is a partially obscured sail in a beach photo from the '92 Nationals in Bear Lake, UT - and it's really small.

Some sure missed it with the "Mardi Gras" designation. Other than Mardi Gras being certainly colorful might be a stretch to make the connection.

Clayton