Catamaran versus Monohull

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pappaecho

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I have always thought that Cats dont point up to wind as well as monohulls, specially those like mine with a long deep keel.
Last weekend in a Force 5 we , a Hallberg Rassey and a Beneteau were all beating off Ryde. I was astonished to be overtaken by a 30-34 ft crusing catamaran, who was pointing as well as we could and going one and half times as fast!
This boat had full genoa as well as main, and the genoa was sheeted back onto the wheelhouse roof, resulting in the genoa almost overlapping the main, but about 15 inches parallel on the downwind wide.
Question is: Have Cats changed that much in the last few years that they will point as well as a deepkeeled monohull?
 
There are those who know a lot more about modern cat design than I do, but I can't think of a modern 30-34 foot cruising cat at all. I thought they all started from 38 foot. Plenty of short run small performance cats. But the Ocean Winds is the smallest production cruising cat I can think of, and that is an old design (plus they only make 2 a year!)
 
Just think back to when the Kiwis built an Americas cup mono that had a deck a bit like an aircraft carrier, and Connors built a cat half the lenght and beat them hollow.

There is absolutely no reason why a cat wont point as high as a mono because it can have exactly the same depth of keel. What it wont do is carry a load half as well, and it wont bash into a head sea half as well - the reason in both cases being that cats work because they are light, with slim hulls and easily driven.

Having said all this I dont know of a modern 34 foot performance cat either, so it may have been a one off. Depends a bit on what you were sailing _ I would expect to point as high as an HR in my old style Prout 33, but I wouldnt have kept up with a First.
 
I regularly see a large Prout zap across Hayling Bay pointing higher and out-performing the monohulls provided seas aren't too big. Then he stays at home!
 
It's all a complex balance between racing attributes, and cruising attributes, on any two boats.

You need to consider the total hydro-dynamic drag on each of the several contenders, in the relevant sea conditions. Not a tank test option.

Then you need to consider the actual drive being taken from the air by the sail plan. Again, not for tank testing.

Third, and perhaps last, you need to evaluate the skill of the helmsman and crew in keeping the boat powered up optimally, most of the time. Again, not something that can be done at Warsash Institute.

The easiest - but not the cheapest - way to resolve which works best is to go racing......

Preferably, a long race or series, with varying conditions.

After that, the arguments start in earnest! And, in the end, it comes down to which prejudices you prefer.......

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Thats why they use multihulls to for record attempts the safety and
speed of modern multihulls is now almost legendary, and this is coming from a lifelong mono racer that has just switched to a Dean 44 and its one of the better tacks ive taken in life.
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Most people think that the boat they've just changed to is the Mutts Nuts. In reality there are pros and cons for cats. I've just gone back to a mono because they are more fun to sail, but I wouldnt go blue water in anything but a decent cat (eg Prout)
 
Re: Catamaran versus Monohull re Talbot

so have some very tiny boats, all with extremely experienced skippers - that doesnt prove its safe for normal people to do so.

Personally I am happier with a more robust albeit slower vessel.
 
If you came up against Mr Jermain in Belladonna he'd show you a very clean pair of heels.

There are no mass-production cats below about 38 ft but there are plenty of smaller companies producing them, Dazcats being one. There are also a fair few one-offs being built in back yards that will show most monos the way home.
 
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