Flying the Trapeze at the Hobie-McCulloch Cup, Mar. 11 to 13

Hobie cats on Lake Havasu

Enjoying the lake isn’t always about burning mass quantities of fossil fuels. In fact, one of the most exciting moments in sports is when a sailor flies the trapeze wire on a sleek, superfast Hobie catamaran.

In Hobie cat racing, which comes to Lake Havasu on Mar. 11 to 13, sailors will often hang on trapeze wires outside of the boat’s rail to keep both hulls in the water. Their bodies are straight out from the boat, something you’ll likely see if you come watch the competition next month off Windsor 4.

Hobies are named after company founder, Hobart Alter, who in the early 60s designed an easily-beached fiberglass catamaran. From 1967 on, the new Hobie Cat Company went on to become the largest manufacturer of small catamarans in the world. In 1969, Hobie released the Hobie 16, the most popular catamaran ever and the most competitive catamaran class in the world. In fact, over 135,000 Hobie 16 Cats are sailing around the world, with dozens expected for the Hobie-McCulloch Cup.

Members of the Hobie Class Association of North America will trailer their Hobie 16 and 18-ft. cats from throughout the southwest for the competition on Lake Havasu, something they’ve been doing on and off since the 1970s. It’s the first event of the 2016 Hobie Division 2 Regatta schedule and races will take place in the waters north of the island, from Windsor Beach, Lot 4.

“This is a special type of sailing – it’s inland, in a desert, on a lake – so typically afternoon winds are best,” says organizer Rex Miller. “Anyone with a boat can watch it from the water. Spectators are invited to come to the Windsor 4 Beach, meet the skippers and crew, take photographs and get a sense of the sport.”

Set-up is Friday, Mar. 11, with competition planned for Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13. The awards ceremony will be held Sunday at approximately 3 p.m., depending upon the wind that day. Spectator admission is $3.

Hosted by the Lake Havasu Yacht Club, Hobie racing is a lot quieter than powerboating or PWC racing, except, of course, for the screams of delight from the skipper and crew.

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