Hobie 16

I saw this story and had to re-post it. Kind of reminds me of when I sailed with my brother on his Hobie 16 in NorCal. Before we sailed keel boats, a Hobie was all we needed to have fun on the water.


I am sailing an awesome SB20. Great boat, fancy regattas. I have friends on all kinds of Melges. Big money, lot of nice drinks and cool marinas. Ok, fair enough.
Then I go to Cervia, Northern Adriatic Sea. Where my sailing club is, the one I have gone to since I was 14, the sailing club where Simone Bianchetti started it all. And in a cold January Sunday, after a nice 35 kts and big swell overnight, I see these two guys preparing their Hobie 16, push it through the beach, put in the water, and just set off! I was there with my four-year-old kid, and I looked at him, his eyes staring at the Hobie. Simplicity, passion, no money, no sponsors, no drinks, no nicely embroidered polo shirts, no media, no nothing. Just two teens, good friends, sailing in the middle of nowhere for a few hours, getting wet and cold. Just for the sake of it. Well, who cares about all the rest?
This is sailing. –  Silvio (and Jacopo).