The Hobie Way of Life
Well, in 1967, Hobie Alter designed the Hobie 14 Catamaran. Hobie wanted a boat that could launch from a beach, bust through the surfs of California and then easily return to the beach after sailing. The Hobie 14 was designed as a fiberglass single-handed catamaran that we still sail/race today. Although it is no longer built, many aficionados have bought older boats and updated them to be just as fast as they were when new. Just a few years ago, Hobie Fleet 10 hosted the largest Hobie 14 North American Championships in well over a decade. In 1969 Hobie Alter designed and manufactured the first of what would be the most popular catamaran of all time...the Hobie 16. The Hobie 16 is very similar to the Hobie 14, but it's a few feet longer, has a taller mast and thus larger main sail, and has a front sail called the jib. The 16 is designed for two people to sail, but on a lazy day in Clear Lake you'll find Hobie 16's with families or friends piled on the boat and a cooler of drinks in the middle. It's also not unusual to find college kids trying to impress the bikini clothed girls on the beach by flying a hull and hanging out over the side! This ability to be both a racing boat and a flat out 'just for fun in the sun' boat is what has made the Hobie 16 the most popular catamaran ever built and also challenges the most competitive sailboat racers in the world. Owning a Hobie Cat means more than owning a boat. Anyone can step on a jetski or powerboat and open the throttle...but with a Hobie...it's you and the wind. Over 100,000 Hobie Cats are sailing around the world in Hobie fleets and racing in Hobie Sponsored Regattas. Through the social and racing activities of fleets like Hobie Fleet 10, members have an opportunity to participate in activities designed to enhance the quality of their recreational time, and to contribute to a spirit of friendship that has graced the sport of Hobie Cat sailing since 1967. Sailors everywhere have come to call this unique affinity "The Hobie Way of Life".
If 'The Hobie Way of Life" is something you have been searching for, give us a shout or stop by and go for a ride....Hobie Sailing may be just the thrill your life needs!
If 'The Hobie Way of Life" is something you have been searching for, give us a shout or stop by and go for a ride....Hobie Sailing may be just the thrill your life needs!
