I have no desire to "limit" any ones experimentation with different configurations for, hulls, mast type and height, sail area, etc, etc, I say "bring them all on, and lets see just what holds up and is competative", What I wanted to point out was that to successfully "alter" an existing cat, or produce a new design, and have an improvement in performance, then you just can't alter one aspect of the cat without dramatical changing other areas of the cats performance/handling. It has to be seen as a "complete package" where the mast and sails match the hull and platform, as well as the rudders and/or centre boards, etc, etc. If you just put up larger sails, and if you have centre boards, then it is likeley that you are dramatically altering the centre of effort of the sails in relation to the centre of lateral resistance of the hulls, and you will completely change the steering characteristics of the cat ( some times to the point of uncontrolable weather helm or lee helm, often even more so on a centre board less cat). I would love to see ALL the extremes of designs actively compete in the 14' cat area, so that perhaps some one MAY just MAY hit apon a successful new revolutionary concept that has been sitting under our noses, so obvious that no one has even noticed it.
Darryl J Barrett