I can only speak from my perspective as a newcomer to catamaran sailing. While I’m new to cats, I have sailed my entire life. I started out sailing Flying Juniors at 8 years old and went on to sail Lightnings, Lasers, Chickadees, Typhoons, Marshal Cats (Cat boat not catamaran), Junk-rigged Schooners and a Mystic 30. I recount this to let everyone know I’m very comfortable around sailboats.

While I am now in love with catamarans (I have an H17 & a Nacra 6.0), I found sailing catamarans to be a huge adjustment. The very thing that makes cats so appealing (their speed, sail shape, mast adjustments, etc), I believe, puts others off. Let me explain.

Initially, where I struggled the most was with reefing. Most cats, particularly larger ones, do not have the ability to reef. I now understand why this is, but I believe that most sailors (certainly me) want to have the ability to easily reef their mainsail – particularly when sailing with family or friends. Allowing a skipper to easily reef or drop the sail when the wind picks-up makes our cats tamer…and far more appealing. Before I get flamed by the racing purists …remember, we want to avoid making cats seem like toys solely for thrill seekers or racers and make them more appealing for all types of sailors.

I understand that rigging a cat this way is trade-off for racers. However, I’m certain that manufactures can come up with a kit (probably including a new sail) that allows skippers to easily switch between the two while still using the same boat – Heck they can make more money in the process!

Also, I would make standard righting poles on all new cats. I know cats can be righted without them, but why not make it a no-brainer? I attached one to my Nacra, and have found that it far easier to right.

In addition to reefing & righting modifications, I would build cats to make them more family-friendly. Certainly boats with more hull volume and wings go a long way to accomplishing that goal. But I would go further by building larger hatches in the hulls that can easily store lunches and other assorted items that our kids, wives and/or friends like to bring along without the fear of a wave washing it overboard or getting it wet. Hobie is definitely ahead of the pack in this regard with its Getaway.

Lastly, while I am not a great racer (although I’m now working on it!), I would give a slight advantage (lower the Portsmouth rating possibly) to boats that have made the concessions to speed (reefing main, larger hulls and more weight for wings and hatches) so as to encourage those of us who would like to competitively race while still being able to take our family and friends out.

Hope this helps,

Bill Nieuwkerk