October 15th, 2018
Weta Vs Laser Vs Hobie specifications comparisons view here
Weta Vs Hobie Vs Laser
below text in document here.
Fun, Fast, Easy - the Weta is the boat everyone can sail.
- Safety
Unlike a catamaran or monohull, a Weta is much less likely to go over and if it does, it’s much easier to right than a catamaran (undo the port on a float, sink the float, right it like a monohull, replace port when float empty). It is much more forgiving than any beach cat and there is plenty of warning it's coming.
If the leeward float is underwater and you're not shifting your weight, easing or turning down, that's not really the boat's fault. You can put a couple of kids on it and not have to worry about a frightening scenario. There's no boom to take your head off either.
The Weta has been approved for Paralympic sailing and 3 para sailors were in the top 10 at the World Masters Games.
- Capsize Recovery
If you ignore the warnings and capsize in deep water, it takes less than 3 minutes to right and get going again, even in 25 knot winds. After righting, the flooded ama self bails and will drain in under a minute.
If you stick the mast in the mud, it takes longer and requires a different technique, but still only takes about 5 minutes. And the two-section carbon mast is tough.
A Hobie is hard to right for two people and almost impossible in a strong breeze without external assistance which is why most catamaran sailing clubs abandon racing if winds are over 23 knots.
Lasers are relatively easy to right - but they have to be because they go over so often and it can quickly get tiring for the crew.
- Flexibility
A Weta can be sailed single-handed, with children or with other adults. It’s great for training as, unlike a Laser, there’s plenty of space and buoyancy to support them and it’s not going to tip over all the time. And they learn to use all the sails not just one.
Unlike a Hobie, it can be solo sailed in a strong wind range and a rough sea state. Wetas have been raced solo in 35+ knots with full sails (jib, main, screecher) and it's an absolute blast. Not conditions for a beginner, but an experienced small boat sailor would not have a problem - and if you remove the jib, even the inexperienced can sail it safely in strong winds.
I never had a day where, in the back of my mind, I was thinking, "I really wish I was at the dock right now." If you can handle a Laser in 15kts, you won't hesitate to put the Weta in when it's blowing 25kts. One senior Weta sailor in his 70s who sails in the cold waters of Scotland, UK was caught in a 52 knot squall and (with the optional furling jib furled) his Weta was the only boat in the fleet not to capsize.
Light winds aren't that much fun in most boats and for 2017 the Weta a new larger 9.3sq M square-top mainsail available and a lightweight foam-core hull. It also has another trick up it's sleeve – you can use the flat-cut screecher as a "code Zero" allowing you to still make progress while other boats are stationary.
The stability of the Weta means that sailors with limited mobility, such as Paralympians and Seniors, can enjoy the full performance of the boat and race competitively with everyone else.
- Storage & Transport
A Weta requires only 4.5x2M to store – roughly the space of a Laser. You won’t find a problem keeping it in the garage or storing it in the boat-yard at a sailing club. And you can tow it behind a normal car as the complete boat, trolley and trailer weighs less than 250Kg.
A Hobie also has a small footprint when derigged completely but in order to be competitive and make the boat stiffer, racing Hobies are usually glued together and have to be transported with the deck fully expanded. With practice, It takes 10 minutes to rig a Laser, 20 minutes to rig a Weta and 45 minutes to rig a Hobie 16.
- Technology
Launched in 2009, the Weta using uses modern materials and construction methods and is a much more recent design than the Laser or Hobie. In 2017 a new lightweight foam-core boat was launched which is 12 Kg lighter and stiffer than the standard Weta but still on the minimum limit for one-design racing.
The standard Weta is lighter (only 120Kg fully rigged) than most rotomoulded catamarans and has a rigid carbon platform which maximises performance. Unlike a Hobie, it doesn't need to be glued together to make it stiff.
Every component of the boat can be easily handled by a single, normal strength person. The mast is a carbon 2-piece 6kg unit that is easy to step - no tools, no pivots, nothing. Just pick it up and slap it on.
- Comfort
You can sail the Weta for hours (like 8 hours) without getting tired. The physical demands are so low that you don't come back to the dock completely exhausted.
Hiking on the boat is really just sitting on the weather ama. Unlike a Laser, there's very little strain on your back or abs. It looks like you're working but you're not. If you adjust the (optional) harness correctly, it provides excellent back support while hiking.
- Performance
For its size, especially when sailed single-handed, the Weta offers a much more useable and exciting (but not scary) performance in any wind condition compared with a catamaran which can be a handful above 23 knots or a Laser in strong winds which will capsize often unless you're very experienced. But unlike a catamaran, the Weta is easy to maneuver because of the centreboard - it turns in it's own wake, it backs easily, and it stops on a dime, so getting in and out of tight places won't scare you and pre-race jockeying is a blast.
- Launching time
Stow to go in 20 minutes.
It's incredibly easy to rig. With practice, it takes less than 20 minutes to rig the boat. That means ready-to-sail with jib, main, and screecher hoisted and blades on. It takes longer to put on your wetsuit/pfd/safety gear. Here's the video to prove it.
- Growth & Support
From an initial launch in 2009 there are now over 1200 boats worldwide (see the Weta world map). There were 10 Wetas at Jervis Bay & Canberra and 5 at Palm Beach (local event). There were 52 boats at the World Masters Games in Auckland in April 2017 and we plan to hold a bi-annual ANZAC regatta.
- Focus
Unlike Hobie, Weta only make sailboats and that is their primary focus. A updated boat with new molds to the same design was introduced for 2015 when manufacturing was moved to Singapore and more updates followed in 2017 with the launch of new sails and lightweight hulls.
- Reliability and Investment Potential
Second hand Wetas are rare on the market and have held their value because they can be used by the whole family. The boat is rugged as hell. Fibreglass can easily be repaired and the Mylar sails are easy to care for and long lasting, keeping their shape.
A Weta isn't a Porsche, it's a Mazda MX5. It's a lot of bang for the buck, and more importantly, it's a boat you can always sail and always have fun, regardless of the conditions or the availability and experience of crew.
