Have a Hobie Day!!

by David Brookes on 29 Aug 2002 The man who started the Hobie legend, Mr. Hobie Alter Snr will attend the Mega Event, Fort Walton Beach, Florida from the 7th-11th October.
Hobie Alter revolutionized sailing when he produced the Hobie 14. The very first Hobie Class Association regatta took place on July 4th, 1968
off Poche Beach, Capistrano, California, a local surfing paradise.

A grand total of six Hobie Cat 14s took part! There would have been more but
there were no more boats available - these were the first six boats made and they had to race! 34 years later and the Mega Event will be
expecting boats from all over the world and in excess of 150 entries.


From this humble beginning grew one of the world's largest one-design sailing class associations with over 500 fleets in close to 100 countries
on every continent, ocean and sea in the globe.

We have a lot to thank those early Poche Beach sailors - the pioneers to literally thousands of joyful Hobie races and regattas and the founders of true sailing FUN and today's International Hobie Class Association.

Hobie Alter Snr has been a recluse from sailing for many years but took little convincing from long time friend IHCA Vice President Paul Ulibarri
to attend one of the biggest events in the North American Hobie sailing calendar. Hobie Alter Snr normally shuns the spotlight but also agreed to
present the awards at the Mega Event; this would be the thrill for many of the sailors to meet the man that transformed the sailing world.

For more information contact Lori Mohney Miracle429@aol.com or Paul Ulibarri pulibarri@compuserve.com