2017 Hobie 33 North Americans

The biennial Hobie 33 North Americans celebrated their northern-most running of the championship, held August 25-27 in Traverse City, MI.

Ten teams from Florida, Oklahoma, Kansas, Virginia, and Michigan competed in the 8-race series, with local Adam Prettyman and the crew of Hobie1 Kenobi (above) winning half the races to take the title over defending champion Craig & Deborah Wilusz’s Myasasaur (Fort Walton Beach, FL).

With light air thermals on the first two days allowing for four races, a steady 10 to 14 knots closed out the series with four more races. On the final day, Hobie1 Kenobi stumbled with a fifth in the opener, but recovered with two firsts and a second to seal the championship.

The 35 year-old 33-foot ultralight design, penned by Hobie Alter, continues to win fans with close racing and versatile performance, and will contest their next one-design championship in 2019.

Event details – Results

Source: Jordan Owen, Grand Traverse Yacht Club