Hobie 18
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Designer
Hobie Alter & Phil Edwards
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Manufacturer
Hobie
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Design year
1977
The Hobie 18 was introduced in 1977 as the performance cat that would take the Hobie family of boats to the next level. Designed with symmetrical hulls and daggerboards. The boat also incorporated equipment not available on earlier Hobie designs. Two prime examples are the Roller Furling Jib and an integrated traveler track on the rear crossbar. Another significant departure from previous Hobie designs was the loose footed Mainsail. Integral hiking / trapeezing wings Spring-loaded pivoting daggerboards controlled with a single line Mylar / Dacron taffeta sails First Hobie to be designed with a Comptip New rudder castings that would be retrofitted to the 18 and be standard on all future models. The boat was an immediate success, and competitive fleets sprouted up in North America, Australia and to a lesser extent in Europe, where the boat was built with an all-aluminum mast, tapered above the hounds. The 17 became an ISAF International Class in 1990.
Build / Config
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Vessel type
Sail - Dinghy
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Hull type
Catamaran
Ratings / Handicaps
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Number of crew
2 (typical)
Dimensions
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Length (overall)
5.48m
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Beam
2.44m
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Draught
0.76m
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Displacement
181.6 kg
Sails
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Sail area (total)
21 m2
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Main sail area
16.33 m2
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Jib / Genoa area
5.96 m2
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Spinnaker area
21.0 m2