Sailing ON Clark Lake
“In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Hobie started designing these boats; catamarans you could easily launch from the beach by yourself. The Hobie 14 was the first: a single-person race boat you could drag into the surf, sail for the day, and pull back up solo. Then came the Hobie 16, a two-person version, same shape, just longer and more buoyant.
As Hobies grew in popularity, fleets began forming across the country. Clark Lake in Michigan became home to Fleet 58, the 58th fleet in the U.S. At one point, there were over 120 Hobie Cats on this tiny 580-acre lake, making it the largest inland fleet in the country. But in the ’80s, interest faded. It could have been jet skis, boats with engines, other hobbies, who knows. Fleet 58 disappeared, remembered only by the people who grew up with it. There’s a lot of people that lived on this lake that loved Fleet 58, grew up in Fleet 58, remember the parties, the sailing, and the people. But it kind of just faded, because sailing became less and less popular.
My family has always sailed. I’ve been on Hobies since I was five. When my brother and I rejoined the Yacht Club as adults, we kept talking about reviving Fleet 58, and in the winter of 2022, I made it my mission. I did the research, contacted people, even got in touch with the Hobie Class Association. They said we needed five founding members. We got them, and in 2023, Fleet 58 was officially reinstated.
Our first racing season was small. It was just a few weeks at the end of summer. In 2024 and 2025, we raced every Thursday from May to September, plus Sundays with the Yacht Club. Just a few years ago, they struggled to get two sailboats out on Sundays. Now we have about 30 Hobies, with even more people interested. It’s growing fast because more people are seeing just how fun, and relatively easy, it can be.
Sailing sounds intimidating, but Hobies are different. Compared to monohulls, they’re faster, more exciting. Sailing a Hobie feels like NASCAR compared to a Honda Civic. You can heel eight feet in the air, use a trapeze harness. It’s just fun. They’re roomy too. You can relax, lay out, swim off them. I let my kids jump off them and go swimming. As long as it’s pointed into the wind, it won’t drift.
They’re great for tricks. My brother and I used to tip them over on purpose as kids. My dad bought his first Hobie 18 in ’98, taught himself to sail, and we’d cram seven of us on it, just sailing around Vandercook Lake. Now, we have Hobie Waves that are even more buoyant. People pile on ten at a time. I’m competitive, so I love racing. But more than that, I love getting my kids into it early. I didn’t start racing until my mid-20s, but my daughter was on a Hobie 14 before she turned one. My son was three. They love it, and now, I can’t quit. I brought Fleet 58 back. People know me in the Hobie world. So I just keep going. I’m getting my kids good enough to carry it on.
If anyone’s into Hobies in Michigan, there are two fleets: Fleet 58 here at Clark Lake and Fleet 519 in Portage. If you’re anywhere in the state, even Traverse City, I can connect you with someone. I’ll get you on a boat.
We love visitors, too. This year we had six or seven people come from out of town to sail, and I just love when new people show up and I can usually offer a boat to sail to get you on the water.
And as long as there isn’t ice, we sail all year long. There’s something about sailing a Hobie in winter when the lake is silent. No boats, no people. You hear the wind, the water gurgling. The air’s crisp, the lake’s crystal clear. That’s when you really hear it all.”
Chance Winnie
Hobie Fleet 58
Clark Lake Yacht Club
1860 Eagle Point Rd, Clarklake, MI, 49230
Facebook page here.
Email the group here.
