I have been sailing a 20 ft Tornado for a while and love the speed and efficiency. For various reasons I need to downsize, mostly so I can single hand. I like the Isotope for its speed and low weight. I sail on Long Island Sound where it can get choppy and/or wavy at times. The Isotope displacement looks a little low. How well does it handle chop? I sailed a 16 ft Hobie for a while and was always worried about pitch polling at speed due to its low displacement hull. How does the Isotope compare to a Hobie 16?
Thanks
The Isotope bows (and hulls) are flared, so buoyancy increases as the hull is pushed down into the water. They have been known to pitch pole, broad reaching in strong winds, if the leeward hull gets buried. I expect that they are similar to Hobie 16’s, except they are faster and point better. Isotopes were designed as lake/estuary sailboats and can generally handle chop (e.g., in the Chesapeake Bay), but sailing in large waves is not recommended. Let us know if you want a trial sail at one of CSCs club events or local NC regattas.