Hobie 16 Rigging
Hobie 16 Rigging and Wires
The Hobie 16 has undergone quite a few revisions over the many decades of production. Racers discovered that by raking the mast back, a sailor could get better upwind performance. The factory gradually modified the “standard” cut of sails and rigging length to accommodate this tuning change.
Original boats had the mast standing up near vertically. In the early 80s a factory change was made to the mast step and shroud lengths to accomodate the increased rake.
A few more changes occurred over the years with the most recent being the 2004 worlds modification.
Murrays has adopted a compromised rigging set in the middle of these changes to work on most boats. The specified shroud and forestay lengths will work on the original boats when used with 10-hole shroud adjusters and work with the maximum rake allowed by the sails produced in the 80s. Later in the 90s and post 2004 boats can rake back much further and will require custom lengths. Please ask for current production or “race length” rigging if you have 2004 or newer sails and boat configuration.