Hobie Cat 405
Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1992
A lightweight centreboard dinghy featuring a fractional rig and the versatility of symmetric or asymmetric spinnakers
Designed by Chris Benedict.
- LOA
- Beam
- Displacement
- Hull type
- Centerboard Dinghy
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
TrailerableBeam 1.38 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 64 kg of hull, so roughly 650 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 64 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 0.27 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelyComfort 2Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 3.48Bluewater
LightD/L 29Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 50.8Powered-up
Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.
- Narrower than ~81% of boats her size on file
Compared with 367 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.
The record
Full specifications
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
50.8
Displacement / length
29.3
Comfort ratio
2.2
Capsize screening
3.48
Hull speed
4.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
209
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1992
Units built
200
Designer
Chris Benedict
Builder
Hobie Cat, Ultimate Sailboats
Boats like this, on the water
Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.
Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.
Topper International Topper3.40 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterAn Ian Proctor-designed polypropylene dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and three versatile sail-area configurations
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
Small Craft Ltd. Wayfarer4.82 mSame hull family0.8 m longerAn Ian Proctor-designed centreboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fibreglass
Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe4.72 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA legendary William F. Crosby-designed fractional dinghy that remains one of the world's most active racing classes
The family
Boats like this
Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.
Hobie BravoCat (unstayed) · 3.66 mHobie 16The most popular sailing catamaran ever built, featuring a rotating spar and boardless hull for high-speed beach sailingHobie 18A high-performance catamaran with a rotating fractional rig and twin daggerboards, designed for speed and agilityHobie 3.5A scaled-down version of the Hobie 14 with a rotating cat rig, designed specifically for younger sailors under 140 lbsHobie 17A single-handed performance catamaran featuring a wingsail-style rotating mast and twin daggerboards for upwind speedHobie WaveA rugged, roto-molded catamaran designed for resort durability and simple, high-performance cat-rigged sailing
Keep looking
Nothing filmed of this one yet
Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.
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