Sailors, like a fine wine vintage, get better with time. Kerli and Ali Corlett, the current Grand Master World Champions, have been racing Hobie 16s together for 30 years.
It all started when they were competing against each other on the single handed Hobie 14. In that day, Kerli was the Hobie 14 champion in Perth. The two great sailors decided to combine into a team on the
double-handed Hobie 16. After a few years of great sailing together, Kerli decided to marry his crew, as Ali grins, “It was a great way to ensure the team stayed together.”
The team has only missed two national championships in all the years that they have been racing Hobie 16s. The highlight of their sailing career was winning the Grand Masters World title in Fiji in 2007.
The Corlett's have organised the shipping of a container loaded with boats from New South Wales to Mandurah for the 29 December 2009 to 5 January 2010 races. They are looking forward to defending their title and enjoying the local Mandurah hospitality.
Kerli has been a Hobie Cat dealer for over 35 years. Ali worked for Hobie Cat Australia for several years before marrying Kerli and they actively manage their Sydney Hobie dealership (Sailing Scene). When they are looking to take a break from sailing, Kerli enjoys racing motorbikes and the couple enjoys vacationing on their touring bike.
Four fleets will be on the water racing the Series 1 championship events:
* Hobie Youth — both skipper and crew must be 21 years old or younger
* Women — both skipper and crew are women
* Hobie Tigers — the Hobie brand 18 foot catamaran with a spinnaker
* Masters and Grand Masters — The skipper must be a minimum of 45 years old
There will be a brief break for New Years festivities and Series 2 will start January 2nd to 5th 2010 with the Hobie 16 Open championship. Part of the race course will be visible from the shoreline and two spectator boats will be on the water. Individuals and media interested in watching the races from the water should contact the Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club or the Hobie Cat Association Western Australia for more information.
– Shauna McGee Kinney
ABOUT The Hog's Breath Cafe & Hobie Cat Australasia Australian Hobie Class National Championships 2009/2010
In addition to the incredible support of The Hog's Breath Cafe & Hobie Cat Australasia, generous contributions have been made by SailPower, ClubMarine, Intelligent Life Air Conditioning, Amberley Wines and FonteLaura Water. The regatta is organised by the Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club with help from the Hobie Cat Association Western Australia.
ABOUT Hobie Catamarans
The Hobie 16 is a 16 foot / 4.9 m catamaran with two sailors and has been a popular racing catamaran for 40 years. The Hobie Tiger is an 18 foot / 5.5 m catamaran with two sailors and a newer design. The 3rd sail on a Hobie Tiger is used down-wind (with the wind coming from behind the boat).
The Hobie Cat was born in a surfboard shop in Southern California in 1969 and is named after it's developer Hobie Alter. Numerous Hobie catamarans have been designed over the years with the most popular racing boats ranging from 14 feet to 20 feet in length. The boats are easy to launch from sandy beaches, physically rewarding and popular all over the world.
