Category: Reporting

Rumors about the demise of the Hobie 17 and Hobie 18 are true, here is a statement directly from the Hobie Cat Company. Please add your comments to this article, I'd like to know how cat sailors feel about this.

Dear Hobie Sailors,

October 9, 2003: It is always difficult to come to the end of an "era", but Hobie Cat Company has had to face the fact that it is no longer economically feasible to continue to build our Hobie 17 Special Editions and Hobie 17 Sports, as well as our Hobie 18 Special Editions and Hobie 18 SX's. Both the 17 and 18 enjoyed life cycles that would make any manufacturer proud. More importantly, we are proud of the introduction to sailing and enjoyment they provided to so many people for so many years. For us, it is like saying goodbye to old friends.

NEWPORT, R.I. (October 3, 2003) - The sight of five 12-Metres sailing up Narragansett Bay would be impressive any day of the week. Today, however, the 12s seemingly ushered in the breeze that had kept competitors waiting under a postponement flag for the concluding matches of the International Catamaran Challenge Trophy (ICCT). For the first time since 1976, it would come down to the final match in this best four-out-of-seven finals before the champagne was uncorked to spray the winners and award "The Little America's Cup" for the 23rd time since the event was created in 1961.

DEFENDERS AND CHALLENGERS MIX IT UP

NEWPORT, R.I. (October 2, 2003) - While the temperatures dropped on Narragansett Bay, action on the race course heated up as competition for the International Catamaran Challenge Trophy (ICCT) resumed today after yesterday's planned lay day. The Challenger (Italy's Daniele Saragoni and crew Teo Di Battista, representing Club Nautico Rimini) and the Defender (John Lovell of New Orleans, La., and crew Charlie Ogletree of Houston, Texas, representing Southern Yacht Club) faced each other on a windward-leeward course (three times around) for three matches in breeze upwards of 23 knots with temperatures hovering in the low 60s. It was "rugged going," according to ICCT Trustee John Dawson of Sea Cliff Yacht Club, organizers of the event, "especially for those who went swimming."

Seventy five catamaran sailboats attended the Catfight IV catamaran regatta on the shores of Lake Michigan. Cat Sailors arriving on Thursday saw big wind during the day . This was a precursor of things to come. As usual, the beach organization was spot on. We arrived late Thursday to find most sailors already set up and catamarans lining the beach. The regatta had started without us!

NEWPORT, R.I. (September 30, 2003) - Plenty of breeze and plenty of action were on tap for today's final races to conclude the elimination series for the International Catamaran Challenge Trophy (ICCT). The sight of F18HTs flying along Narragansett Bay was in stark contrast to their ability to seemingly stop and start on a dime. Even veteran race committee member Pam Kirk (Portsmouth, R.I.) couldn't get over the speed with which these catamarans can accelerate. "I was counting down to the start and there were no boats in my peripheral vision at four seconds," said Kirk. "I kept thinking 'do they know we're starting, do they know we're starting,' and then bam, they flew past me from behind."