How the Hobie Cat Made Sailing Accessible

Daniel “Dan” Prechtel has been working with entrepreneurs for more than 25 years, helping them secure financing for their fledgling ventures. A native of Ohio, he earned a marketing degree from Akron University before moving to the Atlanta, Georgia area, where in 2012 he founded OneSource Venture Capital. When away from work, Daniel Prechtel’s favorite pastime is spending a windy day sailing in a 16-foot Hobie Cat catamaran.

The Hobie Cat was the brainchild of Hobart (“Hobie”) Alter, who got his start in watersports carving surfboards from balsa wood in his father’s garage. After turning a fun hobby into a very lucrative business, and in the process inventing the polyurethane foam surfboard in the late 1950s, he turned his attention to sailboats, specifically the twin-hulled catamaran. Before he entered the arena, recreational sailing had limited appeal. The roll-out of the first Hobie Cat catamaran in 1970 revolutionized the sport and the industry.

The Hobie Cat’s lightweight twin hull design made it easy for even one person to launch from shore, while most monohull boats required a dock. In addition, the boat could be operated by a single experienced person, while monohull boats generally required a larger crew. Its very shallow draft — the portion of the hull beneath the water’s surface — made it a very fast craft. Despite its speed and shallow draft, however, the Hobie Cat was much harder to capsize than a monohull because of its beam, or the width of the boat at its widest point.

Since the introduction of the first Hobie Cat, the company has diversified and now manufactures several types of watercraft, including kayaks, pedalboards, stand-up-paddleboards, and surfboards, as well as all sorts of water sports gear. More information about the company and its products is available on its website at hobie.com.