Hobie 14 User Manual Download

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Hobie University, NAHCA

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31 Mar 02

Hobie 18 - Rigging and Tuning Guide

by Bob Mimlitch

This guide will help get you and your 18 in the ballpark, but remember it is only a guide, there are many ways
to sail a Hobie fast.

Rigging and Setup

Rig Tension

Not too tight, eased enough so mast rotates freely (

≈

4" to 5" movement in shroud).

Mast Rake

Don't rake it back, start at the third hole from bottom of shrouds and tighten forestay.

Diamond Wires

Light air - tight for more draft and power.
Heavy air - loose for more mast bend, flat sail and higher speed.

Rudders

Parallel, no toe in or out. Shape the trailing edge into a thin but flat edge (

≈

1/16”).

Tramp

Tight, tight, tight.

Jib Luff Tension Tighten mainsheet to its upwind setting then set the jib luff as indicated below.
Batten tension

Just snug, except for the top three which should be tight in light to moderate air.
Always release the batten tension before storing your Dacron sail.

Sailing Upwind

Light Air

Main

Mast Rotation Point at leeward shroud.
Downhaul

Just smooth (set with main sheeted lightly).

Outhaul

Bottom batten 1" to 2" draft.

Traveler

Centered.

Mainsheet

Light, do not over sheet as sail will become too flat and hook to windward.

Jib

Luff Tension

Just smooth (set on beach with main sheeted for conditions, see above).

Traveler

Four holes visible to the rear of the traveler.

Jib Sheet

Do not over sheet the jib as it will cut off the air flow to the main.

Tiller

Foot (sail a little further off the wind) in light air. Steer so that leeward.
tell tales are flowing but on verge of stalling if you foot much more.

Balance

Bows depressed, crew to leeward, crew and skipper on crossbar or bow.

Moderate Air

Main

Mast rotation

Point at leeward shroud.

Downhaul

Tight (set with main sheeted normally).

Outhaul

Bottom batten 0" to 1" draft.

Traveler

Centered.

Mainsheet

Tight.

Jib

Luff Tension

Just tight (set on beach with main sheeted for conditions, see above).

Traveler

Near the rear of the traveler to open the slot.

Jib Sheet

Tighter in smooth water - Ease in choppy water.

Tiller

Steer so that leeward tell tale below H is flowing but on verge of stalling.

Balance

Crew and skipper on windward hull and forward, boat level.

Heavy Air

Main

Mast rotation

Point at the leeward shroud.

Downhaul

Very tight, continue to tighten to keep hull from flying too high.

Outhaul

Tight.

Traveler

Centered, move 6" to 12" out if the hull continues to fly too high.
When you travel out, ease the jib to keep the slot open.

Mainsheet

Very tight, keep the sail flat. Travel out rather than sheeting out in a race.

Jib

Luff Tension

Tight (set on beach with main sheeted for conditions, see above).

Traveler

Rear, to induce jib twist-off.

Jib Sheet

Tight.

Tiller

Sail closer to the wind and steer high in the gusts rather than sheeting out.

Balance

Boat level, crew and skipper trapezed as required to keep hull skimming.

Summary of Contents for 14

Page 1: ...H0 BIE N O R T H A M E R IC A N H O B IE C L A S S A S S O C IA T IO N R A C I N G Hobie U 2002 Presented by the North American Hobie Class Association ...

Page 2: ...14 Hobie 14 Rigging and Tuning Guide by Boyd Bass Bob Mimlitch 18 Hobie 16 Rigging and Tuning Guide by Wally Myers 19 Hobie 17 Rigging and Tuning Guide by Dan Kulkoski 21 Hobie 18 Rigging and Tuning Guide by Bob Mimlitch 23 Hobie Tiger Tuning Guide by Mitch Booth 25 Hobie 20 Race Setting by Bob Curry 28 Hobie 20 General Rigging and Tuning Guide by Steve Leo 29 Crewing on a Hobie by Bob Mimlitch 32...

Page 3: ... One Hobie Day seminar I commend you Not only are you on the fast track to increasing your sailing skills you re sure to have a great time too The NAHCA s Guest Expert Program in it s early stages has been making great strides in providing Hobie sailors fun learning opportunities The One Hobie Day program and this Hobie University booklet is a great way to quickly improve on your racing tuning and...

Page 4: ...iation is taking this sharing of Hobie knowledge to new heights with the Guest Expert program Created in 1997 over 15 One Hobie Day seminars have placed veteran Hobie racers at various regattas throughout the region The GEP program and the Hobie U booklet are exciting concepts designed to raise the caliber of Hobie sailors We invite your input and suggestions for additions to Hobie U address below...

Page 5: ...rts of many Hobie sailors and racers It typifies one of the greatest things about Hobiedom and that is the enthusiasm and willingness of top Hobie sailors to pass on their knowledge and experiences to new sailors Unlike many other competitive sports that I have been involved in Hobie sailors and racers are typically willing to share the knowledge that took them years of sailing to gain and help yo...

Page 6: ...Cat data Racing and Performance Sailing Catamaran Racing for the 90 s Rick White Mary Wells 1992 29 95 An excellent book for racers and non racers alike Should be in everyone s library Catamaran Racing Kim Furniss Sarah Powell 1993 15 00 Small 94 pages but good book on general sailing and racing out of print limited quantities available Tactics Rodney Pattisson 1986 18 95 Wind Strategy David Hough...

Page 7: ...deo is an excellent introduction Hobies don t miss it Catamaran Racing 40 minutes Brian Heffernan 28 00 Hobie Cat Factory Rigging Videos 14 16 17 21 sport price each 14 95 Rick White s Video Sailing Series a collection of 5 videos 36 40 minutes each price each 29 95 Titles include Boat handling Upwind Starts and finishes Mark roundings Downwind Tactics and windshifts Websites International Hobie C...

Page 8: ...w Boom Block Tell Tail Bridle Wire Battens Mainsheet Ratchet Block Traveler Rudder Boom Daggerboard Tiller Main Sail Rudder Casting Jib Block Outhaul Foot Leech Bow Stern Hull Main Halyard Jib Halyard Bridle Fly Downhaul Hobie Cat Anatomy The Hobie 18 Hobie University NAHCA Page 3 30 Mar 02 ...

Page 9: ... your previous course to avoid luffing or losing speed Headers work against you when sailing upwind but aid in downwind Head Off To steer away from the wind or turn off the wind The opposite of head up Head To Wind With the bow headed into the wind The boat will come to a stop and then back up Head Up To steer the boat toward the wind The opposite of head off Hobie Means fast fun on the water Iron...

Page 10: ...o the wind direction or falling off turning down wind without easing the sails The leeward telltales will stop flowing to the rear Starboard The right side of a boat Starboard Tack Sailing with the wind coming over the starboard side of the boat Stern The rear end of a boat Tack To come about to change the course of the boat by bringing the bows through the wind so that the wind is now on the oppo...

Page 11: ...sailboat can sail directly into the wind but a catamaran can sail effectively to within 45 of the wind The top two boats in this diagram are both sailing close hauled but one is on port tack and the other is on starboard tack Sailing this close to the wind requires that the sails be pulled in tight As you head your boat further off the direction of the true wind you must let your sails out so that...

Page 12: ...g by keeping the leeward telltales flowing Note Telltale location is critical also don t expect smooth airflow across the entire sail especially on a broad reach Telltales all over the sail are not only worthless but are very distracting Upwind is similar to down wind in that if you take the shortest route you go very slow If you foot off you have better speed but will have to sail extra distance ...

Page 13: ... both velocity and direction If the true wind s direction changes the apparent wind will again change If your boat accelerates or decelerates the wind speed your boat creates will change causing a change in the apparent wind To graphically demonstrate how changes in true wind and boat speed wind effect the apparent wind we will use vectors arrows which show both the speed and direction of each win...

Page 14: ...enter diagram perfect trim shows a sail that is smoothly cutting the wind and bending it to generate maximum power in the sail Note that the tell tails are smoothly flowing back on both sides of the of the sail The most important tell tails are the leeward tell tails usually the ones on the other side of the sail from the skipper Keep these tell tails flowing back at all times the windward tell ta...

Page 15: ...ve to the rear windward corner 6 Crew moves to the rear uncleats and holds the jib while removing slack from the lazy sheet 7 As the jib starts to luff feed out sheet and fly the jib across keeping it flowing as it goes 8 At the same time the crew takes the lazy sheet and moves across and forward sheeting the jib 9 As the boat comes head to wind the skipper releases 2 feet of main sheet more for u...

Page 16: ...te side and grabs the tiller outside the main sheet 6 Crew moves to the opposite side and catches jib on opposite side by sheet or clew 7 The skipper grabs the main sheets below the boom and pulls against the sail 8 The crew trims the jib by pulling on the leech which give the boat power 9 As the pressure on the main sail gets light alert the crew and swing the main sail across 10 Continue the tur...

Page 17: ...ing the tiller all the way over will put on the brakes and put the boat in irons or stall it Don t let go of the tiller or the boat will straighten out before you want it to When tacking a catamaran with a jib sail keep the jib sheet cleated until the bows are fully through the eye of the wind Then release the jib sheet and pull it in on the other side This is called backwinding Turning Away From ...

Page 18: ...ch can be easily untied even after carrying heavy loads for long periods Figure Eight or Stopper Knot Used to keep the end of a sheet or line from slipping through a block or eye Knots Hobie University NAHCA Page 13 30 Mar 02 ...

Page 19: ...ose You are now in the Safety Position on the other tack GETTING OUT OF IRONS 1 Rudders hard over in the Safety Position Push the tiller in the direction that you want to sail 2 Slack the main sheet and traveler and push the boom out Push in the direction that you want to sail 3 Backwind the jib 4 When the bows are pointed onto your new course a minimum of 50 degrees off of the true wind straighte...

Page 20: ...lm If you over sheet the main you will weather vane into irons The importance of a trimmed jib cannot be overemphasized as it helps to counteract the weather helm 4 Lower your rudders as the depth allows weather rudder first until they are both locked down The rudders will steer more effectively the more they are lowered You will also be able to sheet in the main sail more without going into irons...

Page 21: ...o the righting line during this process will help your balance and it will help to prevent the boat from turtling 3 Stand on the lower hull grab the righting line and lean back over the water to right the boat This must be done quickly or the hulls will rotate around pointing the mast into the wind and the boat will be harder to right If you have difficulty gripping the righting line when applying...

Page 22: ...you are out of the surf line which is relatively shallow water When a wave hits your boat it will drive the bows up the stern down and the boat backwards onto its rudders A large wave can drive your rudders into the bottom in five feet of water and snap them off 5 Keep the boat moving forward as fast as possible under the conditions rudders dragging behind dagger boards down only a foot or less di...

Page 23: ...ed skipper on crossbar or hull Moderate Air Main Downhaul Tight set with main sheeted normally Outhaul Just taut Traveler Centered Mainsheet Tight Tiller Steer so that leeward tell tale below H is flowing but on verge of stalling Balance Skipper on windward hull boat level Heavy Air Main Downhaul Very tight continue to tighten to keep hull from flying too high Outhaul Tight you want a flat sail Tr...

Page 24: ...ll tight and mark the halyard where it touches the lip just in front of the bridle bolt Next take the halyard to the stern of the same hull Mark the halyard where it touches the heel of the boat just below the drain plug Measure the distance between the 2 marks 8 18 works Try to adjust for 12 with shrouds just snug Newer boats can usually carry more rake Rudders 1 8 1 4 toe in for rudder alignment...

Page 25: ...ller Sail at 90 degrees or aft on bridle fly Sail lower in gusts Balance Weight forward crew leeward Rudder Try kicking up windward rudder Moderate to Heavy Air Main Downhaul Tight Outhaul Tight Traveler All the way out Mainsheet Tight to 18 between blocks play in gusts Jib Jibsheet Trim to match main and keep telltales flowing Traveler All the way out Tiller Steer to keep bridle fly at 90 degrees...

Page 26: ...aveler track I believe the boat should be perfectly balanced with no helm Mast rake and toe under go hand in hand to achieve neutral helm Depending on your weight light skippers need less power more mast rake set your boat up go sailing and play with your mast rake Keep notes so you can get repeatability Note 2 If you have too much weather helm or lee helm adjust your rudder toe under You might ev...

Page 27: ...t tension Let out a lot wrapping it around the shroud Downhaul Totally off Totally off Don t touch Traveler Out to hull Out to hull Out to hull Mast rotation 110 degrees 110 degrees Don t care Dagger boards Both up One up Both down Skipper position In front of crossbar Behind crossbar Trying to stay as far forward as possible without flipping Lots of skipper movement Very high winds sitting on the...

Page 28: ...ar of the traveler Jib Sheet Do not over sheet the jib as it will cut off the air flow to the main Tiller Foot sail a little further off the wind in light air Steer so that leeward tell tales are flowing but on verge of stalling if you foot much more Balance Bows depressed crew to leeward crew and skipper on crossbar or bow Moderate Air Main Mast rotation Point at leeward shroud Downhaul Tight set...

Page 29: ...b Traveler Forward to provide full jib Jib Sheet Trim to match main tell tales on jib and main should break together Tiller Steer so leeward tell tale below H occasionally stalls In gusts sail deeper Both sets of upper main tell tales will flip back and forth In heavy gusts when you feel out of control steer more downwind If conditions are too heavy to jibe come up tack and fall off 270 turn Dagge...

Page 30: ... mast bend To test whether I have the correct mast set up I go sailing against another boat or boats and go testing I look for height speed and power against the other boat I find if I am slower than the other boat possibly struggling to hold the boat flat and having to point very high assuming the other variables are eliminated the sail is too full Increasing Cunningham and reducing rotation come...

Page 31: ...inst the leeward side of the mast This can create problems when you try to over rotate downwind and in particular in light wind when there is no assistance from the sail to push the mast We all know that the leeward shroud goes slack while going upwind even in moderate wind so all rig tension is doing is holding the mast slightly more vertical I recommend very loose rig tension in light winds unde...

Page 32: ...or my way of thinking get the boat going forward faster and it will go up wind better And of course the slipperier the boat is the better it will go down wind as well So I recommend Remove all dings bumps and imperfections in the hull Ensure the bottom is sanded as to remove the hull join and imperfections around the centerboard case Polish firstly so the hull boards and rudders have your reflecti...

Page 33: ... hull All the way out Jib Luff Tension Upwind light in light and tighter in heavier Downwind light Jib Sheet Upwind 3 off spreader roller 2 off spreader roller pull tight Downwind Adjust to make jib match the shape and trim of the main Barber Hauler Upwind Off Reach Adjust to make jib match the shape and trim of the main Downwind Adjust to match main All the way out Main Traveler Upwind Centered t...

Page 34: ...ave a slight snap in the battens when the bend from one side to the other Sailing Upwind Light Air Main Mast Rotation Point at leeward shroud Downhaul Just take the wrinkles out of the sail set with main sheeted lightly Outhaul Bottom of sail should have about 4 draft at the center of the sail distance between the boom and the foot of the sail measured parallel to the trampoline Traveler Slightly ...

Page 35: ... Sail closer to the wind and steer high in the gusts rather than sheeting out Balance Boat level crew and skipper trapezed as required to keep hull skimming Skipper and crew should stay very close together to keep boat from hobby horsing Sailing Downwind Light to Moderate Air Main Mast rotation Rotated so rotator points halfway from the front cross bar to the bow over rotated in front of front cro...

Page 36: ...s The most critical tell tails are those on the leeward side of the sail usually the opposite side from the skipper Keep them flowing The best tell tail locations are 9 to 12 aft of the luff of the jib and 12 aft of the boltrope on the main Three sets of tell tails per sail are enough one set in the lower half one mid sail and one set in the upper half A couple of tell tails can be placed on the l...

Page 37: ...which side of the course has the best wind Notify the skipper of lifts headers gusts and holes in the wind by watching the boats around you Monitor the laylines and keep the skipper informed of approximate distance to the lay line Tacking see Anatomy of a Tack for crew actions and movements Rounding A mark for a reach to B As you approach A try to spot B so that you can assist the skipper s turn t...

Page 38: ...n the first and last leg She finishes downwind through the finish line Upwind Finish Diagram 2 Course 3 Again the skipper must tack several times to reach the weather mark A after rounding A mark the second time he broad reaches to B mark than close reaches to C mark rounds C and finishes upwind through the finish line In the event that the race committee sets a offset mark the competitors must al...

Page 39: ...Hobie University NAHCA Page 34 30 Mar 02 Racing Signals Flags and Sounds by IHCA ...

Page 40: ... sail above your proper course i e the course that will take you to the next mark the fastest while you remain overlapped Rule 17 1 PASSING MARKS AND OBSTRUCTIONS There is a set of special rules for boats that are about to pass a mark or obstruction However these special rules don t apply between boats on opposite tacks on a beat to windward Rule 18 1 Except at a starting mark you must give boats ...

Page 41: ...elp to any person or vessel in danger 1 2 LIFE SAVING EQUIPMENT AND PERSONAL BUOYANCY A boat shall carry adequate life saving equipment for all persons on board including one item ready for immediate use unless her class rules make some other provision Each competitor is individually responsible for wearing personal buoyancy adequate for the conditions 2 Fair Sailing A boat and her owner shall com...

Page 42: ...4 Avoiding Contact A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible However a right of way boat or one entitled to room a need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room and b shall not be penalized under this rule unless there is contact that causes damage 15 Acquiring Right of Way When a boat acquires right of way she sha...

Page 43: ...and the overlap is broken after one of them has reached it the boat that was on the outside shall continue to give the other boat room If the outside boat becomes clear astern or overlapped inside the other boat she is not entitled to room and shall keep clear c NOT OVERLAPPED AT THE ZONE If a boat is clear ahead at the time she reaches the two length zone the boat clear astern shall thereafter ke...

Page 44: ...e start side of the starting line or its extensions to comply with rule 29 1 or rule 30 1 shall keep clear of a boat not doing so until she is completely on the pre start side A boat making penalty turns shall keep clear of one that is not A boat moving astern by backing a sail shall keep clear of one that is not 21 Capsized Anchored or Aground Rescuing If possible a boat shall avoid a boat that i...

Page 45: ...ting redress a boat or a competitor that may be penalized under rule 69 1 a race committee in a hearing under rule 62 1 a Postpone A postponed race is delayed before its scheduled start but may be started or abandoned later Proper Course A course a boat would sail to finish as soon as possible in the absence of the other boats referred to in the rule using the term A boat has no proper course befo...

Page 46: ...o A mark Try different courses than those shown how did the distance change Which is the Favored End of this Starting Line Note that the boat on the right end of the starting line is physically closer to A mark Does it sail a shorter dis tance Hobie University NAHCA Page 41 31 Mar 02 Which is the Favored End of the Starting Line ...

Page 47: ...mark than the boat on the left Which boat sails the shorter distance Which is the Favored End of this Starting Line Compare the two diagrams on this page has the change in the position of A mark changed the favored end Which boat sails the shorter dis tance Which is the Favored End of the Starting Line Hobie University NAHCA Page 42 31 Mar 02 ...

Page 48: ...avored End of this Starting Line Note that the boat on the left is closer to A mark Which boat sails the shorter dis tance Does the fact that A mark is to the left of center have any effect on which end is favored Which is the Favored End of the Starting Line Wind Hobie University NAHCA Page 43 31 Mar 02 ...

Page 49: ... 10 applies 9 May not change course to prevent 11 from staying clear Rule 16 1 applies Abridged Right of Way Rules for Starting 10 On Opposite Tacks When boats are on opposite tacks a port tack boat shall keep clear of a starboard tack boat 11 On the Same Tack Overlapped When boats are on the same tack and overlapped a windward boat shall keep clear of a leeward boat 12 On the Same Tack Not Overla...

Page 50: ...ail Offshore Weather conditions can change very rapidly and when they do the least desirable place to be is away from land Although there are some offshore races for Hobie Cats these are tightly controlled events with extraordinary safety precautions Also beware of electrical storms If the weather looks like it may change for the worse go directly to shore even if you are far from where you launch...

Page 51: ...nwind on a broad reach the sails should be set and the skipper should steer by the telltales 8 In light air the downhaul should be very tight the outhaul eased a bit and the traveler out a few inches 9 Battens should be stuffed so hard into the sail that it takes on that hungry dog look 10 Going to weather as the wind picks up and you begin to fly a hull and not make much forward progress you shou...

Page 52: ...the telltales True See the answer to question 5 8 In light air going up wind the downhaul should be very tight the outhaul eased a bit and the traveler out a few inches False In light air only downhaul enough to pull out the wrinkles more downhaul will cause the top of the sail to lose effectiveness Always keep the traveler centered when going up wind except in heavy wind traveling out reduces you...

Page 53: ...ck 3 During the tack the skipper should never beat the crew over to the new side of the boat but rather stay on the old windward aft corner until the boat is on a close reach for the new direction True Stay in the aft corner and concentrate on a smooth turn and roll out of the turn slightly past below a normal course Because you have eased the mainsheet see question 7 the boat will not fly the new...

Page 54: ...e helm so the boat will back onto starboard tack 2 You are on starboard with the sail luffing and you want to accelerate quickly so the skipper should drop the tiller and quickly bring in the mainsheet hand over hand the tiller and jib will take care of themselves 3 In choppy conditions the crew should try to get to the opposite end of the boat from the skipper 4 For good weight distribution in li...

Page 55: ... accelerated with each change of direction On the boat this causes the bows to dig deeper into each wave as they try to stop their downward motion and then lift the boat and crew over the next wave Weight together allows the bows to pivot the boat more easily and thus follow the waves not dig through them It is also a smoother ride for skipper and crew 4 For good weight distribution in light air t...

Page 56: ...formance Sailing Quiz on Tactics And Wind Shifts 1 If you are ahead you should try to stay between the boat s behind you and the next mark True If possible do not allow the boat s behind you to catch better wind than you If they go to the left side of the course you go left with them if they go right you go right For better or for worse they will sail in approximately the same wind as you and thus...

Page 57: ...ver standing a layline does allow you to come in to the mark at a slightly higher rate of speed but you had to travel extra distance to over stand and you have to travel extra distance back to the mark Your slightly higher speed won t make up for this If you are fairly certain that you will encounter a wind shift that will lift you to the mark you may under stand the layline to take full advantage...

Page 58: ...de of the course are always the same False The favored side of the course has to do with wind current obstructions etc 7 Even though starting exactly at the favored end allows you a jump on all the boats it may not be where you wish to start True Getting to the favored side of the course may be more important 8 Before each and every start you must always know the favored end the length of the line...

Page 59: ... mark get all those things done 9 Things to think about before the next mark are 1 prepare for the rounding 2 remember the overlap rule 3 watch for the pinwheet effect 4 slow down to win and 5 enter wide exit close 10 Just like a wheel the outside goes faster than the inside so too is the pinwheel effect you can go much faster on the outside than on the inside Rick s answers 1 T 2 F 3 F 4 T 5 F 6 ...

Page 60: ...ay be going through the water faster but he is not making it around the course faster ___________________________________________________________________________________ Finishes 1 The favored tack is that tack most perpendicular to the finish line 2 The favored end is the end closest to you coming from the leeward mark 3 If the starting line is the same as the finish line then the same end that w...

Page 61: ... on a lay line to the pin end and tack Sail towards the pin until you are on the layline to the committee boat and decide which end of the line is closer If the pin is closer keep on sailing to the pin end of the finish line otherwise tack and finish at the committee boat end If you leave C mark on starboard tack just reverse the approach 6 On an Olympic Gold Medal Course the finish line is at the...

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