Footage from the 2014 Hobie 16 World Championships in Jervis Bay, Australia with the American crew of Peter Nelson & Laura Sullivan in 25-30k of breeze and a short chop.
God this brings back so many memories for me. We always had hobie 16s when I was a kid. I can remember spending the whole weekend at a huge regatta that hogs breath saloon used to out on every year in fort Walton beach Florida. There must have been almost 200 boats that would come to compete. People would pack the hotels, camp on the beach, or sleep in their cars... I can even remember people sleeping under their boats. The sight of seeing all those boats lined up on the beach and ready to go with all the different color schemes on the sails was something I will never forget. It was so much fun and I hate that the regattas have dwindled and become less popular. And of course as I got older I came to love sailing the 16. I loved to sail in 20knt, trapping out, flying a hull, racing some other random 16 that you came across, hear the hum of the rudders when you really get going fast.... good times man, very good times. Thanks for sharing the video.
I used to drive to Ft. Walton from Louisiana, towing my Hobie behind my Toyota Corolla in the early eighties. It would go about 112 mph by itself, but only 87 when towing the Hobie. Never got into the competitions, just sailed my boat off of the beach in front of the Ramada with The Grotto in the pool. I went to the Hog's Breath a few times. At that time, there was a club called Victors, which was the place to go. There was another place in Destin where everyone went as well, can't remember the name. "Those were the best days of our life., or, at least, the most fun.
Wow!! Great job at 5:30 and 8:30 jumping onto the front as it came back down and saving the day!! It's so exhausting when you get it righted and it flips back over the other way. That's the kind of day where the next day...you're covered in bruises! And loving it!! Man..you two were absolutely killing it coming downhill at the end holy crap!! Damn I want to sail!!
Yeah, the downwind was an absolute blast! The upwind not much so. We had the rig tuned wrong. If you notice, every time right before I fell off the back of the boat, the mast would counter-rotate. Then we would lose all power, boat would stop flying a hull, and I would get pushed off the back. You can ease off some going upwind, but if you ease off too much that is what is going to happen.
Used to sail my 16 Solo in 2 pennants or on black square flags of California Coast, thought I was hot sh*t until I was 10 miles of the coast In swells much taller than my mast when I heard a sudden pop from the bow area. My forestay had broken and was only in place with ONE STRAND!!!!!!!!!!! ! Headed for shore and the one strand held! Learned a few things 1.) Lose the Ego/Over-confidence, Replace your Standing rigging with Heavy rigging from Murray's marine!! Stay Closer to shore and ALWAYS carry a portable radio!!!! I was young and dumb...
I had a 1984 summer games edition blue hull with blue sails, white and red stripes. It had 2 trapezes and the playmate cooler rack. Great boat! So much fun with friends blasting across the great South Bay of Long Island. My boat had 2 sets of reef points on the main. Used the second set of reef points a couple of times with the full jib. Boat handled beautifully in heavy winds. Nothing like a hobie 16 with friends. A couple of times I had 5 people including me. 2 on the traps and three of us in the back corner holding the boat down. Loved it! I have pitchpoled, many times when flying on the edge and catching a bow. Some times it happened in slow motion, other times in a fraction of a second. If you popped off and released the jib you could sometimes prevent plowing into a pitch pole situation.
I wrote you guys a really long post that you would have gotten a kick out of but lost it so here is the short version: 1) Great Video 2) Similar experience 30+ years ago 3) Experienced sailor but with inexperienced crew mmber 4) Use to the 14, no jib 5) 1st time on a 16 6) 3 miles off the Hollywood Florida Coast light wind and seas...then it happened 7) Gail force winds over 50 miles per hour (news reported this later) 8) Let main fly free, drove with job made it to about a quarter mile off shore 9) Did not know jib could over power the boat 10) Did complete turtle 11) We were screwed.......5 foot seas......scary conditions 12) Boat would right and flip again and again and again 13) Later that night........Bar Scene.....bumps and bruises....more booze... 14) Never sailed another 16 again. Again, loved your video........thanks.......you got me drinking again but in front of my monitor......not quite the same : )
Rob M I have never gone offshore in a Hobie like that...at least not alone. There is safety in numbers. Try it again in a lake, harbor, or just outside the surf line. You will be less likely to have such an experience. Sounds like a wild ride!!
My experience with my Hobie when I first got it was somewhat similar in some ways. I was about 22 years old and considered myself invincible. That is a common malady at that age, especially when you have had that attitude for a few years and got away with it. You came to believe it.
Faster, faster and faster : Chose two ! Great video, thanks !! 7:40 capsize looks pretty much like the upside-down episode "At World's End" in the Pirates of the Caribbean ;-)
I know I don't appreciate her enough because I don't even look at or know what she does at the front end of the boat. She's that good that I trust her totally.
What, no pitchpole & turtle ? Y’all did good & what great fun chilling on the broad reach back to the beach. I’m an old fart, how old ? 1989 Michelob Division 9 Championships 18 Skipper winner. GSSA Fleet 174. Carolina Coastal Dash a 3 day event, from Little River SC to Charleston SC (delayed a month due to Hugo) 18 Skipper winner, and a few more. Damn I miss my Hobie 18, the sea, and the club.
How many 16 sailors out there have been in this type of wind, but with bigger swells. I was in one race on the Chesapeake that way, with 6' at least swells. My crew and I were 17. Go up one swell, and through the next. Freaking terrifying. Tacking was not happening, only jibing.... still see the walls of water coming at my head. This couple was pushing it hard.
Who was the great Hobe Dealer/sailor from Fort Walton beach? He really understood sailing and racing POLITICS... I was dumbfounded when I heard he passed away. He was a Hobe Legend.
Looking great! Looking at your video I see that you are using the jib far out on the traveller. Can you explain me why you are doing this. Thanks. Keep the videos coming.
We run the travelers out to open up the slot between main and jib. This was something we learned from 2-time World Champion Gavin Colby. We go out 1/3 until we double trap and then we go out 2/3. However, we are now starting to travel all the way in with light air to get the height we need. But in big breeze it gets slow to choke off the slot by having the jib too far in. When in doubt -- let it out!
Tjapko Smits Good to hear. However, Laura and I noticed that with the jib traveler all the way out it makes it very difficult to tack. Laura wished later on that she had traveled the jib in some prior to tacking.
Hobie University Yeah I had same issue and managed to figure out some solution. My hobie has a traveller system for the jib so I can put the jib far our when the wind is strong and just before tagging I can manually adjust the jib with a separate sheet to the innermost positiion on the fly. Else it was pretty hard to tack.
Good video... prefer hearing the wind, water, swearing sailors, plus stress and strain noises over canned music. Try using chicken lines for added stability. This can be done with righting lines.
thanks to laura the boat whent back up side, because mr macho forgetfulness to open the main sail and he thing laura its not enougt to drive the boat when she can drive it better than him.................
I’m a purist by definition. Just moved to Miami Beach and I’m getting sick and tired of those jet-skies and engine boats it’s entitled so disrespectful to the environment
