Hobie Cat 18
catamaran · built 1976–present · approved by moderator
Performance & stability indicators
Calculated from the specifications below. Comparative aids only — not a stability assessment.
| SA/D — Sail area / displacement Power-to-weight ratio of the rig — the classic comparison ratio. Imperial: SA ft² ÷ (displacement lb ÷ 64)^⅔. Higher = more powerful for its weight. | 70.86 (123.20 m² per tonne) |
| BN — Bruce number Power-to-weight indicator of speed potential (√SA ft² ÷ displacement lb^⅓). Below ~1.3 is slow in light airs; ~1.6 reefs early offshore. | 2.1 (69.69 metric scale) |
| BSpd — Base speed Distance a boat could average over 24 hours, empirically derived (Richard Boehmer, 1989). Also used to handicap mixed-fleet races. | 10.92 kn (20.2 km/h) |
| KSP — Kelsall speed prediction Derek Kelsall's performance index (PI-C × 10), expressed in knots — an estimate of speed potential on a reach. A value of 8 ≈ 8 knots in a 10-knot wind. | 16.46 kn (30.5 km/h) |
| Texel — Texel rating (Multihull Dynamics) Multihull Dynamics simplified Texel approximation - matches the numbers they published. LOWER = faster. | — needs LWL + sail area + displacement |
| Texel* — Texel rating (official / global) The authoritative CTC / Watersportverbond Texel formula - the same core used by OMR (Australia) and Multi 2000 (France). Includes crew weight, so it sits on a higher numerical scale than the MD approximation (identical ordering). LOWER = faster. | 105.1 (lower = faster) |
| SSpd — Stability speed Wind speed (knots) at which the windward hull of a catamaran (or main hull of a trimaran) begins to lift — Shuttleworth, incl. a 40% gust factor. Higher = more stable. | 5.29 kn (9.8 km/h) |
| KSI — Kelsall stability indicator Indicator of resistance to sideways capsize (Derek Kelsall). Higher = more resistant. | 8.9 (9.8 km/h wind equiv.) |
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Hobie Cat |
| Model | 18 |
| Variant | — |
| Year from | 1976 |
| Year to | — |
| Hull type | catamaran |
| Boat style | Open / beach catamaran |
| Construction | — |
| LOA (m) | 5.49 (18.01 ft) |
| Waterline length (m) | — |
| Beam overall (m) | 2.44 (8.01 ft) |
| Beam waterline (m) | — |
| Hull width (m) | — |
| Beam centreline (m) | — |
| Bridge deck clearance (m) | — |
| Draft min (m) | — |
| Draft max (m) | 0.76 (2.49 ft) |
| Board type | Daggerboard |
| Displacement light (kg) | 181 (399.04 lb) |
| Displacement loaded (kg) | — |
| Sail area upwind (m²) | 22.3 (240.03 ft²) |
| Sail area downwind (m²) | — |
| Total engine power (kW) | — |
| Number of engines | — |
| Fuel (L) | — |
| Water (L) | — |
| Berths | — |
| Headroom (m) | — |
| Notes | — |
| Sources | Wikipedia Hobie 18 (high) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobie_18 |
| approved_by | moderator |
| approved_at | 2026-10-30 20:19:09 |
Official Texel* — propeller adjustment
Texel* above uses a propeller factor of 1 (retractable / unknown). Propellers are commonly swapped between otherwise identical boats, so pick a configuration here to compare like-for-like. Board type recorded: Daggerboard (already reflected in Texel*).
Texel* with propellers: —