The A Cat

What's exciting about it? I haven't ran with 1 up since the Hobie 14 back in the late 70s. I just wanted to know what the A class sailors like about the A cat. Also, can you use main and spin on them just for recreation?

Simplicity. Quick to rig. Very easy to handle on the beach, easy to right. Light and sensitive helm. Slices the water in a sexy way. Points spectacularly well. Light weight translates into instant acceleration. No need to line up crew. Not generally designed to accept the loads of a spinnaker, but when powered up carries apparent wind down very well. Try it!

Dave

If you go to this link there is an email link that you can send a message out to all of us A-cat sailors. You will get quite a few different answers. http://www.usaca.info . Or you can ask Lars guck at Gunkinc.com. He is a great promoter of the class. Or post this question in the A-Cat forum at the bottom of the forum page.

- You are totally independent (rigging, beaching and sailing)
- Fast, according to Texel- and SCHRS-ratings faster as a F18 (and as a Hobie 14-18 anyway ...)
- the only class with true innovations (e.g. curved daggerboards) due to less strict class rules compared to F18s or Tornados
- it will take enough time to get the most out of your mail before you feel to have the desire for a spin

Kai

Several have rigged spinnakers but honestly, it doesn't need it. I thought I would miss the spinnaker when I first got my a-cat but after experiencing it downwind in 12 knots for the first time, a spinnaker is completely unnecessary! It's a great boat for all the reasons mentioned above...

1. Every time I lift my 166 pound high-speed, high-performance boat, my back says "Thank you very much!"
2. Who the hey needs a 450 pound boat?

Those of us that are 240lbs :P

Keep telling yourself that.

I'll tell myself anything I damn well please, and you'll [censored] live with it bitch!

:P

And you'll stay the same non-sailing, over yapping, under experienced,excuse making,bad advice giving, Ronald McDonald boat breaking BEEAAAAHHHCCCHHHH that you are now.
:P :P :P :P

I was always a little embarrass that I weighted more than the last 18Sq that I built! It weight in at 220 lb.

Many thanks for the input, seriously. Didn't mean to start any fights. I understand the love for the A-Cat now. The other cats are obviously more work, but 2 and 3 up sure makes the boat look more exciting. Someday I hope to try a A-cat.

The first call to make is whether you like RACING solo or with a partner. The racing experience is very different and both are fun in different ways. The team aspect of getting the boat to move is a lot of fun as is the private experience of a solo boat flying upwind or down. (if you go solo... make sure you buy beer for your friends with a sloop boat... crewing is still fun as well)

The next big decision is whether you RACE solo with a chute or not. Since you only have two hands... racing a spin boat shifts your attention slightly. You have to get the boat around the corners first and then worry about the fleet. The simpler A cat allows you to race your competitors around the corner a lot more aggressively.

Another factor is the length of the race course that prevails in your area. A short race course will get old fast with a spin boat... (one or two man).

Finally, if you want to race today... it comes down to what is popular in your area right now. Growing a fleet is slow and unpredictable. You rarely see a region with equal numbers in the classes.

Bob Hodges had a great description of the two forms of racing... but I just can't remember it..

When you read the rosters at regattas, many of the most seasoned sailors seem to flock to them. I can uncerstand.

If you've seen one up close, everything is carbon, even the carbon is made out of carbon. Every bolt, wire, line, is the lightest possible. They are truely often a work of art, and FAST too.

Years ago, living on the island of Galveston, I had a windsurfer-for the too windy/no crew days; and a P18-2, for the other days. I had the entire summer off- paid (school teacher at the time). Good days.

What about the cost of the A-Cat? And I don't mean in comparison to any other boat. Just ball park figures.

There are several used A's listed on the A cat website, and try this Classified tab at the top of this page.

Over the past 10 years, I am amazed how many active 20ft (n6.0, i20, etc) racers have moved to A-class. Most of the time, I would honestly rather be screaming along with a N6.0+spi, but as I get older I have less time to rig and organize crew. Also, I have less need for the high wind ultra high adrenalin but want a good, full drug, rush even in light wind (which is more common when your sailing days get reduced).

Downwind, the A-class is still fast like spin cats (mostly)if you sail it very, very well. The biggest downside is that they are very fragile. You must handle them with care (especially on land), but their light weight makes this easy.

I bought a new-looking, well maintained, kevlar 2000 Boyer MKIV last year for $7500 with a nice trailer, two decent mainsails (one had been sailed three times although it was an older sail), a full Kinder yard cover, foil covers, a relatively new harness, and a beach dolly. Believe it or not, it's actually proven to be a relatively competitive boat even with the older designed mainsails (or maybe BECAUSE of the older mainsail!). I've got a new main coming soon and it will be interesting to see what that does for me.

If you buy a new boat outright, you're looking at around $20 to $22k and most don't come with a sail (since they're typically custom made to weight and wishes).

OR MAYBE it sails fast because of the Lose Nut benind the tiller !

what he's saying is...Despite all of his boats inadequacies, the skipper is fast! JK JAKEY!

If that happens then the crew on the spinnaker boat is not doing their job right. If both are sailed equally well then the A has nothing on a spi boat.

Overhere they don't even start the A's on the spi course anymore despite the fact they reach the A-mark ahead of the fleet on the first upwind leg. After that they get overtaken by the fleet anyway when they're sailing downwind high when the spi boats are sailing fast and deep. Makes for dangerous cross-overs as they tend to creep up on you behind the spinnaker.

Additionally, sailing an A-cat very well downwind (=wildthinging) is a skill that is harder to learn then sailing downwind under a spinnaker.

That is just the way it is.

Wouter