Hi all.  My girlfriend has been sailing for nearly a year and is urging me to buy a cat for us.  I'm a windsurfer by choice although I do sail as well and love cat sailing on holiday.  We've only ever used Dart 16s before but they were enough to get her hooked .  Having looked around on the 'net I think that the Hobie Twixxy ticks a lot of our boxes, being small enough for Mandy to handle on her own, tough enough to be "beach-proof" and reasonably priced. 

Does anyone here own one?  What do you think of it?  And does anyone else have any alternative suggestions? 

Any comments appreciated.  Cheers. 

J.

If a Dart 16 is only "enough to get her hooked", why go for a cat with a lot less performance ?. I would have thought that the Dart 16, with it's roller jib and reefable main would be very suitable - or the new Topper !

Give us a bit more detail, J. Do you plan to sail the cat together or is it just for your girlfriend? The Twixxy looks a little small for two adults. Do you plan to race or is it more of a recreational thing?

I suspect the Dart will be easier to sell-on. Certainly easier to source second hand in the UK. The reefing isn't particularly pretty (bungy cord bundles up all the spare) and you'll need a longer tiller for trapese-helming but the first is hardly a show stopper and the second will only set you back a few quid.

The Hobiecat Centre in Poole will sell you anything you like but will doubtless admit that 99.9% of their business is with the Tiger, H16 and FX1. I think the Twixxy is from Hobie USA rather than Hobie Europe.

Dont get too hung-up on the beach-proof aspect. Unless you are going to trailer sail you will inevitably keep the boat at a club and be able to launch from a trolley. Although GRP isn't as "scuff proof" as polyprop it'll cope with be being dragged on the sand. Witness the hundreds of Hobie16s you see for hire in the Med.

Whatever you get make sure that your girlfriend can right the boat on her own after a capsize.

Jaycb

Hi you don’t say where you have sailed the cat before or where you will be intending to sail one from more importantly?

The boats sailed at clubs are usually sailed for a reason such as the launching difficulties or the seas/tides encountered. Not usually worth trying to reinvent the wheel, sail the same as most people sail at your home club, that way you will get loads of free help and advice (sometimes too much!)

I would say that it is worth buying something that you are able to grow into, cats like windsurfer are about speed not worth getting something that only goes slow!

Dart 18 are good beginner boats and have a big active Association, easy to rig and sail, many are sailed with or by children.

Hurricane 59’s can be picked up cheep they are bigger but better sailing boats, especially on the sea and in tides, they also have a good active Association and lots are sailed very competitively male/female. They also have an option to fit a spinnaker as your skills improve for even more adrenalin.

It is important to get a boat with a good active Association as then when you progress you have the option to travel to racing events or national championships that are organised by the Associations along with good social events sometimes also Associations organise training events at little or no cost.

Worth going on these Association websites most have boats for sail and what is offered in the coming season, links are all on the Y&Y cat classes page.

Hope you find the boat/Association to suit you, then I doubt you will want to windsurf alone as much.

The advice above is good.

Look at the Ratings on http://www.schrs.com - www.schrs.com  Numbers are given for the more popular cats. The lower the number, the faster the cat.

Thanks for advice guys.  I guess Dave's point is one of the most important - my girlfriend will need to be able to right it on her own, but at the same time we'll probably want to sail together sometimes.  We're not going to be racing, just recreational sailing really.  It sounds like you're all saying the Twixxy is too small/slow so maybe I'll try to get a second-hand Dart 16 or 18.  I saw a Hurricane 4.9 for sail recently - are they any good? 

Port End - we've sailed in Turkey previously and as for sailing in this country, would like to join a club on the south coast (so lots of pebbles/shingle and steep shelves at high tide) although I've not ruled out the idea of trailer sailing and keeping the boat in a lock-up garage.   

Hi Jaycb

Before you buy a boat take a look at http://www.sprint15.com - www.sprint15.com . You girl friend is not likely to be able to right from a capsize either a Dart 16 or a Dart 18 singlehanded. They are both also heavy to handle on shore. They are good 2-up boats, however.

I was going to mention the Sprint15 but I knew Bob would pop up sooner or later!

The Sprint 15 is an excellent little boat and if you check their website you'll see a map of the south coat with active S15 fleets. I seem to recall there being S15s at Hayling Island which would perhaps suit you both but no such luck! Try the Open Dinghy club, close to Worthing.

Otherwise infallible, I would take issue with Bob on the manouevring of a D16 around a the boat park. It is light enough for all but the very smallest.

(Actually any cat is easy if the trolley is in the right place as it balances itself. Only problem is going over bumps and uphill. Kepp the tyre well pumped)

Hi Richard,

Sprint 15s are now made in South Africa by Collins Fibreglass and are imported by Windsport who can provide boats from stock. Collins Fibreglass are also the manufacturers of the Dart 18 which is imported by the Laser Centre.

There are also a number of second hand ones on the class website.

Cheers

Bob

I would advise you to buy a cat with a big following in the UK so either D18 or 15 or even a H16 but above all, something sailed in numbers in a club near you. I think the H5.9 might be a bit much and fails the single hander test.  I also would advise you not to spend too much money as I have noted the tendency of people to fall in love with cats on holiday in the Med and fall out of love with them very quickly in cold UK! It is a lot better to upgrade once you have decided that you really do like cat sailing than flogging an expensive machine at a depreciated price.

Good Luck

Good point Shadowman.  I was chatting to a Dart15 guy at the Ally Pally show who gave me a Sprint magazine. I've looked on the Sprint website and the Dart 15 does look good - if I can find a decent second-hand one then that may well be ideal.  There are a few on the Sprint website but none that are very geographically close.  I may try to put a "wanted" ad on their "buy & sell" page. 

Don't worry, windsurfers aren't afraid of getting cold & wet (well, not tooooo cold anyway... )

Hi Jaycb

We are currently organising demonstration rides on Sprint 15s at clubs around the country for those people who declared an interest at Alexandra Palace Dinghy Show. There is no obligation or charge. They are just rides we organise through our association members.

If you want us to organise one for you and your girlfriend give me a call on 01438 354367

Cheers

Bob