HI,
I have a Cheshire Cat, an older 14' catamaran, small sister to the Isotope. It weighs 150-170lbs all up, with centerboards, main and jib. Has anyone tried to turn one of these into a formula14? I am curious. I love the boat, but at 240lbs, may be too heavy to enjoy it on a competetive level. Would need new sails for sure. She sails well with the old ones. I had to extend the mast 3' to fit another class main on her. That helps move my beef around the lake.

You might want to check out the manufactures website. I just saw they are offering a factory version of this boat witha spinnaker. Not sure what else is different from the earlier models. (I have one too)

http://www.intl-fiberglass.com/cheshire.html


Rich

set up a spinnaker right on any 14' cat and it is going to give it a "new" exciting dimension to sailing it. "it's all good".

Interesting claim they make about the "Cheshire cat" on their website?

QUOTE "The Cheshire Catamaran is simply put the fastest production catamaran in the world under 14ft. Makingit the fastest Formula 14 boat made. With and without a spinnaker the Cheshire has the lowest Portsmith rating( .77) of any Formula 14 specification boat. The Cheshire has centerboards to point upwind and a balanced helm for a wakeless flow through the water. With recent advances in single handed spinnaker the Cheshire's Portsmith rating will take a deep plunge this year. The Formula 14 class will need 40 years of trial and error to catch a Cheshire." end QUOTE

I think that we could prove that quite incorrect out on the race course? I might send them a DVD for fun?

Absolutely eligible as a Formula 14 - please rig it up and come to Spring Fever this coming Spring to sail with the rest of the "little" boats.

Hope to see you there - post some pictures.

Send 'em the DVD, Darryl! Always fun to make the claim, but it is based completely on very old and incomplete Portsmouth data, not head-to-head speed tests among other 14s. In fact, the Cheshie's been moved to the "inactive classes" table due to lack of data - there is a base number of 80.0, and a couple of results in Beaufort 2-3 range that put it at 82.6. Add the spin for a modified base of 76.8, and you're definitely in the neighbourhood of expected F14 performance, but can the boat be sailed to the number?

Let's get a few of them out on the race course and flesh out the rating some - c'mon, you Cheshire owners! We race straight up between the 14s, but still take times for the Portsmouth gods. If you own one or know someone who does, chime in so we can get motivated for a regatta soon.

I've got a great story about the Horn Island Race that I'll put in another thread. Little boats continue to make big impressions.

Horn Island Results



(all alone at the finish line... the rest of the fleet's back there, somewhere...)

I've heard good things about the Cheshire, but that's some serious HUBRIS!

Show'em the AO, Darryl.

sent them a polite letter with a DVD. I will be interestred to see if I receive any reply?

They seem rather narrow to carry that much SA, and the hull design is very 70s with swept bows and much rocker. They could be a fun boat, but I doubt they'll hang with the "new breed" F14s (Mystere 4.3, AO)

They just apparently don't know that yet?

I raced one of these for a few years, back in their peak (if there ever was one) and they are quick little boats, but built largely for light to moderate winds. They earned their numbers in winds below 18, but over that the hull shapes and foil stabilty didnt' really do so well. It is also a very narrow boat, limiting your righting moment with a larger sail plan. Might be an intersting expiriment to widen it a bit with a new sail plan,hmmm just time and money right??

Looks like a little Dart.

John:

So the Mystere 4.3 in a Formula 14 boat? I think I have found one but it is in Fla. Know of any used ones in Texas? The Mystere website times out or I would look there.

Doug Snell
dsnell4 at houston dot rr dot com
Hobie 17
www.tcdyc.com

Here is a little 12 footer that would shake up quiet a few larger cats....... Kitty Cat was designed in New Zealand to win the 12 Skiff Interdominions (Australia V's New Zealand) it was so successful that catamarans or any boat with more than one hull was banned from the class.

This shot was taken at the Kurnell Catamaran Club.



Mordern day Kitty Cat on Port Phillip Bay.

Ian Markovitch (Red Head Sails) built Glider...... 12 foot trainer or 1 man trap with spinnaker not shown in this pic.