Syracuse.com - Liverpool couple competing in World Hobie Cat championships in Australia

[HuntingNY-News]

Tom and Susan Korzeniewski, of Liverpool, headed out Tuesday to Australia to compete the 20th annual Hobie 16 World Championships. The two are members of Hobie Cat Sailing Fleet 204, which is headquartered at Lower South Bay on Oneida Lake. A Hobie Cat is a twin-hull sailboat with fabric connecting the hulls. It was invented by Hobie Alter of...

Tom and Susan Korzeniewski, of Liverpool, headed out Tuesday to Australia to compete the 20th annual Hobie 16 World Championships.

The two are members of Hobie Cat Sailing Fleet 204, which is headquartered at Lower South Bay on Oneida Lake.

A Hobie Cat is a twin-hull sailboat with fabric connecting the hulls. It was invented by Hobie Alter of Dana Point, Calif. The lightweight, fast, catamaran-type boats come in various hull sizes: 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 feet.

The Australian competition, which is being held at Huskisson Beach on Jervis Bay (about 139 kilometers south of Sidney), kicks off Saturday. The Korzeniewskis will be competing in both the masters (45 and over) and grand masters (55 and over) divisions with their 16-foot vessel.

The masters competition starts Saturday and concludes with the finals Tuesday. The grand masters competion begins the following day and concludes Feb. 7.

For the Korzeniewskis, Hobie Cat sailing is a family affair. Susan, Tom, and their daughter Erika compete throughout the year at local, regional and national level competitions.

Their local Hobie Cat sailing club, Fleet 204, is considered one of the most competitive in the country.

Each year, the club hosts the Madcatter Hobie Cat competition on Oneida Lake, which is held the weekend before Memorial Day and draws sailors from across the country. This year's event is set for May 16-18.

For more on the world championships, see hobieworlds.com.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog