BoatsHobie 17

Hobie 17

Catamaran, twin centreboards · Cat (rotating spar) · First built 1985

A single-handed performance catamaran featuring a wingsail-style rotating mast and twin daggerboards for upwind speed

Designed by John Wake.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Cbrd.

See her sail

The Hobie 17, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Lady K Sailing

What the fleet has seen

The Hobie 17, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Hobie 17 is a 5.2-meter catamaran sailboat designed by John Wake and built by Hobie Cat since 1985. It features a Cat (rotating spar) rig and a twin centerboard hull, with a 2.4-meter beam and a 0.5-meter draft. The boat displaces 142 kg and was intended as a single-hander. A sloop variant with a 'sport' package is also available.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cat (rotating spar)
Ratios
SA / displacement
58.1
Hull
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1985
Designer
John Wake
Builder
Hobie Cat

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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.

Hobie 165.05 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe most popular sailing catamaran ever built, featuring a rotating spar and boardless hull for high-speed beach sailing
Sailing around Nordkapp on Hobie 16 Catamaranfrom Igor Stropnik
Supercat 154.65 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA high-performance beach catamaran with a rotating spar and an exceptional sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Why St. John Feels Nothing Like St. Thomas E38116:38from Wildly Intrepid Sailing
Hobie FX One5.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 5.18-metre single-handed catamaran featuring a rotating fractional rig and an exceptional 56.56 sail area-to-displacement ratio
Hobie Cat FX One, Sailing 14 days & 1100km1:37:37from Igor Stropnik
Hobie Tiger 185.51 mSame hull family0.3 m longerDesigned to the Formula 18 rule, this 5.5-metre catamaran features twin daggerboards and a high power-to-weight ratio
4 day solo passage to the Greek town of Vasiliki 🇬🇷 & sailing cats with ​⁠@JOYRIDER TV26:10from Sam Holmes Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Hobie 18A high-performance catamaran with a rotating fractional rig and twin daggerboards, designed for speed and agilityHobie 16The most popular sailing catamaran ever built, featuring a rotating spar and boardless hull for high-speed beach sailingHobie 14The original Hobie Cat, this lightweight beach catamaran features a rotating spar and a high power-to-weight ratioHobie BravoCat (unstayed) · 3.66 mHobie WaveA rugged, roto-molded catamaran designed for resort durability and simple, high-performance cat-rigged sailing

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Hobie 17, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Hobie 17

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue