12′ of fun, the Hobie Bravo is easy to rig, with furling mainsail that insures power control in any wind condition. Novice friendly, this rugged, easily moved, beach boat suits any size body of water, pond or Great Lake. If you love to sail in a blow, or your featherweight craves excitement, have a blast sailing a Bravo. watch video
Beach resorts all over the world choose Waves. Fast fun, and novice-friendly, a Hobie Wave makes you grin like a kid with a new bike, regardless of your size. 800 pound capacity insures a comfortable ride. Manageable in high winds, cat sailors get thrills, without bruises or fears. see more
Superb cat, well suited to families or larger sailors, the Hobie Getaway sports lots of room and power, and is oh so comfy on big lakes. Optional wings seat you outboard in a more natural sitting position. Trapeze is available, though non-essential. Her forward, spacious tramp is especially alluring to sun-worshippers and kids. She's a big cat, hefty to handle on the beach without a dolly, but sailing her will delight skipper, crew, and passengers. A joyful ride.
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The Hobie T2 is well suited to couples. Those who have sailed off a beach for years love the proven durability of roto-molded poly hulls, but those agile and experienced trapezing sailors also wanted more performance. The T2's square-top main, optional spinnaker, with convenient furling jib delivers to both seasoned sailors and those anxious to learn what the thrill of cat sailing is all about.
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The Hobie 16 catamaran jolted the socks off the sailing public when she was first introduced in 1972. Everyone who was anyone had to have one. She's still thrilling sailors, almost a half a century later. Light, very powerful, and a handful to sail in a blow. Not for the timid or meek. Sail one in some air, after you've had some experience. She'll give you the ride of your life.
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The Hobie Wildcat lives up to her name. For seriously experienced cat-loving sailors only, she competes well in the F18 class. Everything about her is speed driven. Long, lean, graphite daggerboards and rudders, wave-piercing bows, a sprit for spinnaker launch and retrieval, and trim adjustments even above-average sailors may not yet fully understand. She'll lighten your wallet significantly, and should not be abused, so only the ready, capable, and discerning need apply. Wing mast and 454 sq ft of sail on 397 pounds of rigid, light, super-sleek design. Adrenaline rush!
Hobie Alter was the at the root of cat sailing, growing the sport with passionate invention and new design. Hobie Cat continues to deliver amazing catamarans to those who want the excitement of fast rides and fun sailing, be it top-notch, highly competitive one-design racing, or a fun-filled afternoon of hoots, hollers, and hull flying. Because sailors' wants and abilities are not alike, cat designs are not created equal.
Catamarans are the fastest sailing boats in most any wind condition. Tall masts with high-aspect sails on a pair of long, lean hulls, one just kissing the water, is sheer power.
Powerful, light, rigid cats practically leap from the from water when properly balanced and sailed. Yes, it takes experience and stamina to handle go-fast cats in waves, wind, and through various maneuvers, but it's such a rush when you do so successfully.
Cats are more easily sailed onto a beach, than equally-sized monohulls. Recreational cats (without daggerboards), are especially easy —and those with roto-molded poly hulls (Bravo, Wave, Getaway, T2) are rugged enough to take pokes, bumps, and rocks too.
All multihulls have great initial stability, making them easy to board, and are also very stable when sailing in light–moderate wind. Stability on windy days relies upon the sailor's knowledge, experience, and ability to trapeze, de-power the rig, and/or reduce sail size. Otherwise, whoosh splash capsized catamaran. You'll get better at righting with practice; it's part of the fun & challenge.
Many cats offer trapeze; on some it's essential. A sailor hooks a dogbone to his trapeze harness, thus suspending his weight from a wire, and moves his body way outboard, his feet planted on the windward hull. You need only be adventurous; it's fun, not difficult. You'll need some agility, but you'll get the hang of it.
Stability fore and aft in windy conditions is greatly affected by waves, hull length, shape, and volume—particularly in the bow area (as Hobie 14 and Hobie 16 owners readily acknowledge).
Newer designs have a lot more volume overall, and in the bow areas. With just 13' of hull, the Hobie Wave takes wind and wave so much more easily, newbies at the helm of their first thrilling cat ride think, "wow, fun!" unaware of the decades of experience that went into their designed joyful first ride.
Large trampolines provide plenty of space for people; the Getaway has two: a main tramp, and a forward tramp as well. When the wind kicks up, you'll want to be on one side of that cat, on the high-up rail, not "laying (sliding) around" on all that space. That is, if you intend to sail her in the wind she loves.
The Hobie Getaway has optional (get them!) wings so you can sit outboard on raised seats, allowing a more natural sitting position, and eliminating the high-wind-essential need for trapeze. Wings are comfortable and popular; the Getaway photo above is shown with them installed.
Proficient-for-years cat owners wonder why have a backrest, and yet, removable backrests are an available option on a Hobie Wave. Some enjoy the supportive comfort; others wish to contain the kids. It's a personal decision: a cost-benefit analysis; we don't use them ourselves.
The longer and heavier a catamaran's mast, the more effort to raise it, and you will be lifting and pushing it up while walking across a (hopefully, tightly strung) trampoline which will provide strength, properly tensioned. Still, trampolines are not a rigid surface.
Cats rarely point as high (sail as close to the eye of the wind) as monohulls, especially recreational cats, nor do they turn as quickly or easily as cats/monohulls with daggerboard/s. Getting out to the lake, traversing a narrow opening or navigating through a crowded bay when the wind is coming at you, requires repeated, quick tacks. As you attain skill, tacking will get easier, but a cat may not be your best choice for the particular body of water you are now planning on using.
Large sails are powerful. On a windy day you may capsize in a direction you didn't think was possible —or, when you least expect it. Catamarans are typically a bit more time consuming to right and climb aboard, especially if you are lightweight or inexperienced, and particularly if you are alone.
Hobie's recreational cats come with a float at the top of their mast which keeps the mast tip high afloat so you've more time to right it. The float (called the "Hobie Bob") prevents turtling (turning upside down).
Match sail power to your body weight and stamina; match hull —design and material— to your use, and you'll love sailing a cat!
