Sea, sail and fun
In the middle of the 50's, it's the effervescence on the Californian coast. The surf culture, on land and on water, was booming. The Californian way of life, based on fun and the beach, was being created.
It is in this context that a young surfer, Hobart "Hobie" Alter, opens his first surfshop in Dana Point, near San Diego. His knowledge of foam work made him a recognized shaper, who also sold skateboards.
With his knowledge in the use of resins, he gambled and looked for new outlets for this promising material. Inspired by a famous Hawaiian catamaran, the Manu Kaï, he improves the concept and launches a small sport catamaran, the Hobie Cat 14.
Simple and easy to access, the Hobie Cat 14 has thin, asymmetrical and banana-shaped hulls, capable of passing smoothly through the Californian waves. Success was immediate, but the 14-footer lacks power and volume for double-handed sailing.
In 1970, Hobie Alter launched the boat that would revolutionize the world of sailing, the Hobie Cat 16. Following the philosophy of its little brother, the "16" will be a worldwide success and will be sold in nearly 100 000 units, making it the best selling catamaran in the world.
A worldwide success
In order to meet the exponential demand for 14 and 16 footers, Alter concentrated on developing its production facilities. It was not until 1978 that a new 18-foot model was introduced, designed for speed and equipped with a ladder.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the American shipyard attempted to enter the liveaboard market by launching a 10-meter monohull, the Hobie 33. Produced in 184 units, the keelboat was not a great success.
Returning to its DNA, fun and simplicity, Hobie Alter develops a range of funboards, the Alpha boards. Then, it has again a commercial success with its range of sea kayaks.
The world of snowboarding exploded in the early 1980s. As a good American businessman, Alter launches his own brand of clothing, swimwear and various derivative products. Hobie Cat becomes a way of life.
In 1994, the Californian shipyard developed a specific range for sailing schools, by starting to manufacture in rotomolded material. With less extreme designs and solid construction, the Wave and Getaway will be very popular with beginners.
Not abandoning its whimsical character, Hobie Cat launches in 1995 the Hobie Trifoiler, a double-rigged boat equipped with skid hulls. Extreme and difficult to move, the Trifoiler will be produced in a few copies until 2005.
In 1997, Hobie introduced the Mirage Drive system on its kayaks, which allows a boat to move forward by pedaling instead of paddling.
The Hobie Cat 16 : the reference
Measuring 5.05 m, the Hobie Cat 16 is the best selling sport catamaran in the world. Fast in light airs, it expresses all its enthusiasm from 10 knots of wind. Generously covered, it can be equipped with two trapezes and a large spinnaker. Fickle and sensitive to the helm, it capsizes in all directions, on the side, in front and even behind in case of a big mistake by the crew.
It has been a great success with sailing schools, vacation centers, but also with regatta sailors. It is still at the center of a very active one-design class. Numerous national and international championships bring together very high level sailors.
An offer oriented towards fun
Hobie Cat offers a wide range of fun and easy-to-use beach equipment. In addition to its mythical range of catamarans, the Californian brand offers fishing and leisure kayaks, pedal or paddle, inflatable kayaks, paddles and surfboards.
Passing away in 2014 at the age of 80, Hobart "Hobie" Alter revolutionized the world of sailing by bringing a lighthearted, no-nonsense approach that will forever shape the world of global sailing.
