In 1948, the Prout Brothers, Roland and Francis, in the UK joined two canvas canoes together, mounted a sail on the contraption, and blasted through their mono-hull competition. This led to the production of a series of Shearwater catamarans that wowed the sailing world with their astounding speed. From 1958-65, G. Prout and Sons produced a derivative design called the Cougar Cat, a 19-foot LOA wooden sloop with a 25-foot mast. The Cougar O/D became particularly successful in the United States at a time when Hobie Alter was still building surfboards in his father’s garage.