The Hobie® 16 World Championship kicked off on May 29 with the Masters competition. Great grand masters, grand masters, women and youth competitions will follow. The main event, the Open, begins on June 5. National champions and other high performers have already earned their way into the event.
Here are three Open pre-qualifiers to watch once the sailing gets serious:
The Experienced Australian
Rod Waterhouse first sailed a Hobie Cat in 1975. He moved up to the Hobie 16 in 1979, with his girlfriend Kerry (now wife). 2016 is the Australian’s 15th Hobie 16 World Championship.
“We’ve won the Masters and Grandmasters, but never the Open,” he says, but he’s come close. Waterhouse has several top five finishes to his credit. He’s in the running – he even says so himself.
“We feel like we’ve got a chance,” he says.
Waterhouse and his daughter Bridgette earned their way into the Open by winning the Australian championship. “It’s the first year I’ve won our national title. I can’t believe I did it at my age,” he adds.
He’s counting on experience and guile to get him first to the finish line. “The Hobie 16 has a special feel. By knowing the boat, you can be competitive when you get older. If the wind conditions in China are lighter (as expected), it’s not so much a young person’s game,” he says.
His daughter Bridgette is experienced too, as is his son Jason. “They’ve sailed Hobies since they were born whether they liked it or not,” the elder Waterhouse jokes. Son Jason is rated number one in the world in Olympic multihull, his father proudly notes.
“We’re excited. We love going to the events, the camaraderie, the friendships. We have a ball. If we do well it’s just a bonus,” he adds.
The American ‘Amateurs’
Rich McVeigh straight up admits he doesn’t know what it takes to win the Open Worlds. “A lot of time; a lot of skill,” he muses.
McVeigh considers himself an amateur. He doesn’t have a coach, but he’s one of the top US sailors. He qualified for the Open Worlds based on season points.
“We’re looking to do as well as we can. We try to make the cut and see how well we can place. It’s always a challenge,” he says. The international field sails at a high level.
He lets slip an open secret. McVeigh and his wife aren’t in it just for the sailing. They love the travel aspect of Hobie Class competition. Hobie makes it easy.
“Hobie is the last company putting on full class competitions, the only one providing the boats. You fly in with your personal sailing gear. We have brand new boats to sail. There’s no additional fee. It’s a great feature, a unique thing. Hobie Class sailing is a really big bargain,” he adds.
The 2016 Worlds will be McVeigh’s first trip to China. Hobie sailing has already taken him to Italy, Australia, even Africa. “An amazing experience,” he says.
The Young Dane
Daniel Christensen (he also goes by Bjornholt) is the top-ranked Hobie 16 sailor in Denmark. He gets around. In 2014, he won the Youth Worlds in Australia.
Christensen thinks the competition in China will be top notch. “Most of the main teams seem to be showing up,” he says.
He’s already in his tenth year of Hobie 16 class competition. “I won’t be one of the youngest, not anymore. I used to be for many years, but I’m 21 now,” he says.
Christensen ranks the physical advantages of youth low on the competitive scale. Other aspects are more important for a potential world title.
“I’d say it’s a combination in this order: Skill, cold blood, luck, and physical endurance (depending on conditions obviously). Besides that, the worlds are pretty easy [physically] because of the many boat swaps.
He’d like to win, but the camaraderie amongst competitors keeps him coming back. “The social life before and after racing is essential, especially when it comes to Hobie events. I probably wouldn’t still be racing the Hobie if it wasn’t for that,” he adds.
Follow the sailing action on the Hobie Worlds website.
