[quote=jlooby]Damon is infinitely knowledgeable but I'm going to disagree with him here.
A Hobie 17 super jib (H18 jib sheeted just like a H18 along the hulls) sold and possibly created by Murray's makes the H17 a lot of fun in light air as I am up on the wings in under 5 and out in the trap at ~7. The H17 was first designated as a heavy air boat and rather boring in low wind but this changes it. The stock H17 sport jib sheets to the crossbar and this too will help in light air. The 17 tacks well but it can stall in heavy slop (waves and wakes as my lake, Lake George NY is all big boat wake slop these days) whereas the jib of course makes tacking a breeze.
Note you need the bow spreader bar (which is a H17 boom extrusion) to keep the stays pulling vertical rather than compressing the hulls inward. You could easily make this with a windsurf mast or suitable aluminum pole.
As an aging sailor I find the H17 with wings perfect, backrest in super light air, nice seat in medium air and then roll up the jib and you have a really stable heavy air boat. Note I also added a spin as getting home in light air in Lake George wake slop is not fun.
Youtube vids here and in both videos there were no whitecaps (5-10) yet on a few occasions I could even fully extend out in the trap off the wings:
https://youtu.be/XIQ-iTwjtKM
https://youtu.be/es0FkPTD-gk
James
H17+
Farrier F25C+[/quote]
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