New Hobie

[trying_hard]

I am the pround new owner of a Hobie 14 turbo and was wandering if anyone could give me some advice to to tune it up or to just give it that bit more competive egde!!!!!!!

[barefoot]

It's been a while (since the late eighties) for me on a Hobie 14 T, so what I write here might not apply anymore.

I found a good/new jib makes a big difference (an old jib flap around and slows the boat down). Mast rake helps you point higher, tight (I used to use vice grip to pull the tramp ties) trampoline makes for a stiffer boat, black (carbon?) rudders are quieter (and hopefully faster) and if you're really keen, take the boat apart and glue it back together (makes for a stiffer boat).

cheers

[darcy1945]

Make sure rudders are alligned (ruduces drag), Mast rake is important for upwind performance and to reduce tendency to pitchpole. When you rake mast you will have to tuck rudders under (forward 1.25 " at bottom leading edge of rudder from line through rudder pins), also make sure mast rotates freely under load and does not ride over the rotation stops on mast step (you may have to file the back of the mast base if it fouls and add thread in bolts to raise rotation stops, If you dont have low profile main sheet blocks you can have a new clue fitted 8" 10" above original to give clearance under boom . With boat level masthead should be anywhere whithin 12" to directly over rear beam. Find another turbo to sail against and do 1 mod at a time checking performance.

[Grant Rogers]

Where are you based?

I've just bought myself a Turbo and am going through the tuning myself. So far i have got the jib tack down to the legal limit. And i'm now working on mast rake and rig tension. From memory when i used to sail the Turbo a few years ago, i had the mast head raked roughly in-line with the back beam. I'll be working on it over the next few months, so i'll let you know what i come up with. If you're in Sydney we have a few Turbo's sailing out of Yarra Bay at La Perouse.