Random blather and non-scientific observations:
Common misconception around the mono circles is that cats are ineffective upwind. For anecdotal evidence, I've kept up with a J-24 upwind on my old Hobie-14 - couldn't catch him but he wasn't getting away either. That was in about 15 kts in a decent chop. I ate a Tartan T-10 upwind on my Hobie-18 (singlehanding) in about 12, this after he luffed me up to make the point that I couldn't point like him - pinching I equalled his speed, when I dumped behind him and cracked off a few degrees I was gone (still close hauled), making it to the middle of the Bay before he cleared the River.
But, most mono sailors base their version of the truth on experiences long ago on boardless boats that weren't tuned or sailed effectively. They don't know the what can be achieved on cats with boards and modern designs. If the guy wants a single hand cat that can eat up his J-24 on an W/L course, maybe he should get an A-Cat...
More anecdotal un-scientific stuff:
Last year in the Annapolis to Oxford race, beachcats were an unofficial class. They started further away than the mono start, and Mark Schnieder on his Tornado sailed through their starting line some 20 minutes after them, and finished boat-for-boat ahead of all the monos including all the large fast racing boats. This on an upwind dominated day. This year we have an official start, although they are making us carry anchors and running lights. Should be interesting!
Yet more anecdotal un-scientific extraneous stuff:
On the first day in this year's C-100 we came upon a couple of large monos slogging upwind in the heavy stuff like us, also heading to Solomon's Island. They were pointing higher, we (Hobie-20) were going much faster. We did a few more tacks than them, but we got to Solomons first. In the Tiki Bar later, some of the mono guys wanted to know what "this catamaran thing is all about, you guys just go pwing this way and pwing that way while we just point straight ahead". I asked him if it mattered given that we still got to the bars first. No answer. Then it was pointed out that they could carry beer. I pointed out that we had plenty of stowage for beer, and we could ice it too. Then it was pointed out that they had 10 women on board (all hiking on the rail). He had a point, I only had my crew who definitely is one man and not 10 women. So I asked him how many of those women went home with him. Turns out he went home with the same number of women from his crew that I went home with from mine - 0. The final question from another cat sailor was, "why would guys want to work so hard to go so slow?" Final answer - "we still beat the multis on handicap". Ah, buy your handicapper a drink the next you see him...
