Go to a yacht/sailing club near you and see what they sail, then you will have people who can help you develop.

If you don't flip a cat you're just not trying hard enough!

Generally they're great, fast when going but poor tacking. If you didn't make it round a tack you'd have to do all sorts of tricks to get the nose round.

I had a hobie 14 as a teen, the 'turbo' version which had the jib. Definately go a jib- you can still sail singlehanded, don't need to fuss with the jib apart from reset at tack/jybe and it adds heaps of speed.

I'd also look at the hobie 16 and 17. Bit bigger, bit faster.

For what it's worth I always wanted a nacra when I raced the hobie, more of a pain with centreboards but faster and some have spinnakers which adds a new level after a year or two..

Edit - as kats says they do nosedive - when full blown (~30kts) I'd have me and a mate out on trapeze and we'd be trying to have our feet on the last 1-2 foot of the end of the hull. Had a spectacular air followed by nosedive in a race in moreton bay. We were both right at the back out on trapeze when the nose buried, launched up and out like a slingshot. I swear I landed 10m from the cat. One hull cracked and immediately sank, had to be towed in. Good times.

If u want to race see what is the most popular class in your area. Nothing worse than having one boat that no one else has.

Windrush 14, is the best 14footer ever built.

No bias.......

The mast floats so is easier to right if you get it turtle, it is harder to capsize or cartwheel than others and they are an active class in many areas.

If its races you want to win

Yes, just check what Cats are being sailed locally... Compete with others in the same class...

Otherwise, go the Hobie14, great Cat, quite common, incase you need spares...
Hobie17's are pretty damn fast too! If the local guys are racing Hobie14's, you could still consider a 17 on the basis of "Mine's-bigger-than-yours"!! LoL!

Hobie14 has more rocker, which is better if you want to 'surf' it...

jayse - just sailing around will get boring pretty fast. you'll want to be racing soon after you get the basics. contact your local yacht club and, as others have said, find out what the most popular class is.

people are always happy to welcome newcomers into their class and club and give advice. the sailing community generally is very friendly. it doesn't matter what class you sail - if it is competitive you will have a blast & make plenty of new mates.

there used to be a good fleet of plastic cats at portland back in the late 90s & early 2000s, especially nacras and hobies...good luck

Simondo said..
You don't even have to in the same "class". Every yacht has a scratch handicap. But after a few races, you will get a personal handicap for that boat, a bit like a golf handicap...
Back in the day, our handicap was something like "118". We had long races, circa 80-100 minutes... So if you were on 120, we would need to beat you by at least 2 (and a bit) minutes, over a 100 minute race...

yeah but handicaps and yardsticks are never worked out properly, especially by the vyc committee.
it's much better to be in the same class. over the line placings are more accurate and satisfying than having to get back to the club to know who placed where.

I was originally going to buy a catamaran about 8 years ago. Then I realised nobody really wanted to come out with me, "What if there's no wind? We'll get wet. Do I have to help you?" so I looked at smaller, more portable alternatives.

I was (****ing) lucky enough to go out sunset sailing on Sydney harbour last night, out through the heads and back to rushcutter's bay, the ultimate harbour cruise. 15 knot seabreeze and perfect conditions. Even an almost full moon came up just after sunset. I mean it doesn't really get any nicer than that on a sailboat.

But I tell you it was like walking uphill. Pushing through the water. Being pushed to leeward. All the time. Apparent wind coming from, huh what?... behind us?
To be clear and fair it's not like I can go cruising like that on a windsurfer very easily. I think. There are certainly advantages to a sailboat.

As was hinted above maybe you might consider windsurfing, or god forbid even kitesurfing. Once you lose all that drag and start planing, and the rig leans into the wind, like a wing, it's Sailing ++. It's like everything is breathing freely instead of being pushed. You're pretty much flying. I'd even go so far as to say you haven't really sailed unless you've done it.

Well, that's my sales pitch. Pun intended.

evlPanda said..
I was originally going to buy a catamaran about 8 years ago. Then I realised nobody really wanted to come out with me, "What if there's no wind? We'll get wet. Do I have to help you?" so I looked at smaller, more portable alternatives.

I was (****ing) lucky enough to go out sunset sailing on Sydney harbour last night, out through the heads and back to rushcutter's bay, the ultimate harbour cruise. 15 knot seabreeze and perfect conditions. Even an almost full moon came up just after sunset. I mean it doesn't really get any nicer than that on a sailboat.

But I tell you it was like walking uphill. Pushing through the water. Being pushed to leeward. All the time. Apparent wind coming from, huh what?... behind us?
To be clear and fair it's not like I can go cruising like that on a windsurfer very easily. I think. There are certainly advantages to a sailboat.

As was hinted above maybe you might consider windsurfing, or god forbid even kitesurfing. Once you lose all that drag and start planing, and the rig leans into the wind, like a wing, it's Sailing ++. It's like everything is breathing freely instead of being pushed. You're pretty much flying. I'd even go so far as to say you haven't really sailed unless you've done it.

Well, that's my sales pitch. Pun intended.

i agree with you when it comes to big boats.

but being on the trapeze of a skiff or a fast off-the-beach cat on a reach in 20 knots or more is easily as much of a buzz as planing on a windsurfer or kite board. especially when you're racing.

Are Maricat still around? You'd pick up an old 4.3 for a song I'd guess.

Hobie 17

Beach rollers & registered trailer would be good things to have, but $1000 is cheeep

www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Boating-Sail-Boats/~tubxp/Hobie-14-Turbo-Catamaran-14-0.aspx