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Hobart "Hobie" Alter gave his nickname to both the company he founded and to the line of Hobie catamarans he designed. There are several distinct Hobie Cats, but their origins all date to 1967, when Alter invented the Hobie 14 as a boat that could be launched from the beach directly into ocean surf. Two years later he brought out the legendary Hobie 16, followed by further models such as the Hobie 17, Hobie 18, Hobie 20, and the spinnaker-rigged Hobie Tiger. Hobie Cats are most often raced "off the beach." They feature spring-release rudders, lightweight hulls, and a large sail area. Racing sailors generally use a trapeze and often maintain a permanent righting line for use in case of a capsize. There are more than 550 Hobie Cat fleets worldwide, including many throughout Canada and the U.S. The Hobie is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) International Multihull Class Association. For more information, read the Hobie Wikipedia article.