a class catamaran top speed

Published on April 10th, 2023 | by Editor

A-Class Catamaran having it both ways

Published on April 10th, 2023 by Editor -->

The singlehanded A-Class Catamaran has a strong presence in the USA, which was strong enough to host the 2022 World Championship, and strong enough for the country’s Ravi Parent to win the Open division world title.

Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck checked in with Florida A-Class sailor Axel Issel for an update:

The A-Class Class rules allow for development, which is good for improving the boat but can get expensive as gear becomes obsolete. How does this impact participation?

The A-Class is divided into two sub-classes separated by different sets of measurement rules; the Foilers (Open) and non-foiling (the Classics). In the case of the Classics that have been around 67 years, most development has occurred in the last decade or so with the change from straight dagger boards to C foils and the deck-sweeper mainsail with curved booms.

Older hulls and masts remain competitive but the newer configurations do provide a slight advantage. Today, Classic boats from 10+ years keep winning Nationals and Continental championships and boats with straight booms and daggerboards still are in the top 5 in the Euro circuit.

The Classic fleet keeps growing in most countries due to the speed and simplicity of the boat; very competitive, tactical, fun races, with plenty of accessible boats around the globe. In many parts of the world, the Classics are very popular with larger numbers than Foilers like in the US/Canada, Italy, France, Australia, etc.

Sailors in Classics are competitive at all ages, many well into their 70s so it is a class where you can grow and be at the top for decades with your same boat for many, many years.

The Foilers have seen the most recent development. Here newer boats (2019-20 and newer) make a difference over older ones since they are easier and more stable to foil. Participation in the class is achieved in Classics due to very even and fun races with skippers with 20 years fighting 70s-year-olds. Participation in Foilers comes from younger sailors trying to master the fastest single-handed catamaran in the world.

Most of the top sailors in the world raced A-Cats at some point, even though it is a non-Olympic class. The A-Cat has consistently proven itself in the international scene whereby the World, European, and North American Championships are frequented by some of the most famous sailors in the world.

However, it’s always taken the dedication of a pure A-Class sailor to win the Championships. This demonstrates the high level of performance within the class and it leads to amazing numbers of entries for such events. Today, almost all top professional regattas are raced in foiling boats, like the America’s Cup, the Ocean Race, SailGP, etc, so learning and growing in a foiling A-Cat gives you experience and advantage, attracting young talents to the fleet.

When was the shift to foiling? How did the class endure that transition? Were there kits? Foilers started around 2015, but in 2018 the class decided to create two sets of rules to keep the non-foiling boats competitive, and two sub-classes were born. I believe this was a wise decision, to make the class appealing to a wider population.

Today you can be competitive in your 20s and into your 70s, with a newer Foiler or with an older Classic. Regattas are usually scored in two fleets, and some, like the North American Championship regatta, have the two fleets + the “Overall NA Champion” who is the best skipper among the two classes.

The transition was progressive, initially some folks modified the trunks on the hull to insert the newer foiling blades. Today, to be competitive in Foilers, you need a newer foiling specific boat. Manufacturers build two models: the Foiler and the Classic. The Classic is lighter, simpler and less expensive. The Foiler has a lower hull profile; is heavier due to extra carbon needed to support extreme foiling forces, and needs better physical input.

Has the foiling equipment stabilized or is it still evolving? For the last three years (late 2019-2020), there have been no new developments. The latest one was the rudder differential. Some have been working on differential for center foils with no success. Also, cambered sails with specific masts have been designed, but nothing new has come out. Until measurement rules for Foilers are changed, it will be difficult to see any new significant design improvement.

How is the used boat inventory in North America? Today, there are around 20 used boats for sale. Some used boats for sale are almost new, like a 2022 Foiler and newer Classics. You can buy an old Classic for less than $5K and be competitive in the Classic fleet. Used boats and parts can be found in https://usaca.info/ and in https://www.facebook.com/groups/922063451790001/ .

Who are the suppliers for North America? Are there any in the continent? Boats and masts builders are in Europe. Today, the largest manufacturer of boats is eXploder from Poland (with accessible labor), which provides new Classics and Foilers. Fastboatstuff.com is their representative in the US, and they carry new boats and parts for almost all new and older model boats. North America is getting shipments from Europe usually two times per year with new boats and parts. I have been in the class three years and I always find the parts needed quickly. Top competitive sails are built here in the USA by Glaser, Sail Technologies, etc.

Why do Foilers and Classics race together? Because it is way more fun, and way more competitive. The fleet is well mixed during races. In addition, it is a good way of keeping the fleet growing, making an easy and fun entry point to the class with more options. For example, I started in Classics two years ago and after the Worlds in Houston last year, I sold my Classic and I switched to the Open class.

Usually, the top Foilers will have an advantage but most part of the fleet is mixed. In lighter winds like sub 10 knots, the boats are even and in lighter non-foiling conditions, Classics are faster. Top light sailors can start foiling downwind around 8 knots but most of the foiling fleet foils closer with 10 knots of wind 100% air time, and upwind foiling is mastered only by the ultra-top sailors, and usually they need 12-13 knots of wind to make real gains over the top Classics going upwind.

For us, the newer foiling sailors, learning to foil (like me!), will always have Classics around showing how much ground is lost while we are trying to fly……and once on air, if we do not do the correct angle, Classics will pass you by. .Racing with 50 boats on the line, is always more fun than 20-30 boats, and chances are you always will have someone next to you on every mark.

What is the ideal sailor weight for the A-Cat? I believe 170-195 pounds is the ideal range, NED 007 Mischa Heemskerk won the world championship several times and he is 225+ lbs; the latest World Champion USA 76 Ravi Parent (2022 Rolex Yachtsman of the year) weighs around 165lbs . Who knows….!

Where are the hubs of class activity in North America? Florida concentrates 30% of the fleet, with Key Largo, and the Sarasota/Tampa Bay area being the most popular spots, followed by Fort Walton and Melbourne, FL. Lake Lanier in Georgia has one of the largest fleets, Annapolis/West River area is popular as well.

Lake Carlyle in Illinois, where we raced the 2021 North Americans, have several active boats. Also, there are 10 boats in Alamitos Bay in California, and there is a large fleet in Ontario Canada where we raced the 2022 North American Championship.

I heard a new fleet will grow soon in Mexico City as well. This year we are all looking forward to race in October the ‘Alter Cup’ in Pensacola, Florida, only for Classic boats, where skippers from other multihull fleets join the A-Catters to determine the best multihull skipper!

Tags: A-Class Catamaran , Axel Issel , Craig Leweck

America’s Cup: Challenger series update →

Keeping quiet is not a growth formula →

Full range for A-Class World Championships →

Will DN iceboat rig be fast in the water? →

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This article is in draft. If you have any additions or corrections then please email [email protected] .

The A-Class Catamaran (A-CAT)

The A Class Catamaran is the fastest single handed small catamaran in the world. It is highly responsive lightweight and the powerful rig means that even the heaviest sailors are on the trapeze upwind in 6 knots of breeze and flying a hull downwind. Top sailors can even trapeze downwind, making the boat even faster and more exciting. The boat is very easy for an experienced sailor to sail, but very difficult to sail really fast.

The class was founded during the late 1950s and was part of the 4-tier IYRU (now World Sailing) approach to divide up the sports catamaran sailing scene into 4 separate groups. These A, B, C and D classes were governed by a very small set of class rules to which each design had to comply. All boats designed and built to these specs would be grouped into one fleet and race each other for crossing the finish line first. The A-Class is the largest class and the smallest craft, but maintains its status as the ultimate sailing catamaran single handed design.

The International Yacht Racing Union formulated rules for the International Catamaran Divisions in 1962 with approved amendments in 1963 and 1964. The purpose of these rules was to encourage racing and development within four divisions. It was hoped that International status would be granted to one or more classes within each division.

The A-Class design has over time converged to a single sail rig using a lightweight carbon mast of about 9 meters length. The hulls and beams are often made out of carbon fibre as well, although homebuilt wood or composite materials are still seen on the race circuits. This single sail rig allows these boats to truly excel when sailing upwind.

In the decades since their foundation, the A-Class has gathered a significant international following and it has class organisations in many countries around the globe. Their world championships often attracts around 100 boats and sailors.

In 2017 with the advent of practical foiling designs, the IACA divided the class into an Open (Foiling) division, and a non foiling Classic division for boats with straight or C shaped foils, and with different class rules to prevent foiling. The two have slightly different SCHRS handicaps, the Open being 0.978, the Classic being 1.008.

A-Cats in Australia

The first A division catamaran registered in Australia was designed and built by John Smallman of Victoria in 1966. The first A cats built in Sydney were Graham Johnston’s A-Cat 1 and Harold Stevenson’s Camira. Johnston’s A-Cat went on to become the Australis, winning every race in a selection trial at Blairgowrie in March 1967. This selection trial was for an Australian representative to the I.Y.R.U. trials in England in July 1967 to select catamarans to International status within the 4 divisions. Graham Johnston then took his boat to England and won International status. The Australis Association was formed shortly afterwards.

From there the Australis progressed slowly, was altered slightly and due to decreasing numbers lost it’s International status at the I.Y.R.U. meeting, 5th Nov. 1973. In the meantime the open A class division continued beside the Australis with many different designs being sailed in Australia. Some of these included the Unicorn, Quest A, Buccaneer, Harmony and Rhapsody designs. Of these the most popular was the Unicorn design. In the next few years the Stevenson designed Rhapsody gained greater popularity. Since then we have seen the development of the Hooper designed Colonial designs and the modified Rhapsody designs from Greg Goodall.

All modern designs have been improvements on earlier models.

The greatest breakthrough in design has certainly been in rig development. In the early days rigs were supported by very bendy pear section masts of 27 to 28 foot in length. Since the 1981 Botany Bay World’s where the Australian designed and manufactured Wing Mast came to the fore, sail development has centred on a rig size of 30 to 32 feet. Whilst the Austwing remained popular in the early 1980’s, the Italian Sori mast, and more recently the Goodall copy, with more stiffness has dominated the higher placings in recent championships. The Sydney built Spunspar mast of similar dimensions but not as stiff has also proved popular with the lighter weight sailors in recent years.

In 1987/88 Barry Marmion introduced the flat top rig on an untapered Goodall mast. This sail had a cut away leech for greater heavy weather performance and also swept the deck to create an end plate effect. Whilst the flat head has remained popular, the deck sweeper was abandoned shortly afterwards. Various sailmakers have developed these sails further with larger head boards. Some have continued the cut away leech concept, but recently this seems to have lost favour.

No one single design of A cat has proved dominant, thus supporting the principle of open design and development within a class. In Australia today half a dozen different designs are actively campaigned in all Eastern States. Although the trend now-a-days is to Carbon and Kevlar/Glass foam sandwich construction, plywood boats are still to be found actively campaigned.

Carbon masts started to enter the Australian market in the 1993/94 season, with construction by Jim Boyer. This production was stopped in favour of importing European masts. At the 1996/97 Nationals half the fleet used carbon masts, with several being of home made construction. Carbon masts are being now being produced in commercial quantities in Europe, America and Australia.

Since 1980 the A class’s performance has improved to the point of dropping 6.5 points on the VYC yardstick ratings.

A-Cats at Saratoga Sailing Club

Saratoga Sailing Club has a small but proud catamaran fleet, racing regularly with us on Sundays. We welcome all abilities but are of course particularly proud of Scott Anderson and Darren Bundock achieving global recognition in the A-Class Catamaran World Championships in Toulon, France in September 2023. Scott took first place in the classic division and Darren took 3rd in the Open (foiling) division.

Scott Anderson

Scott Anderson has an incredible track record or success over the last 12 months:

Sep 2023 A Class World Championship – Toulon, France – Classic – 1st
Aug 2023 A Class Austrian Championships- Wallersee , Austria – combined Open & Classic – 1 st
May 2023 A Class German Championships- Malcesine , Italy – Classic – 1 st
Sep 2022 A Class European Championships- Lake Garda , Italy – Classic – 1 st

Scott started sailing on Sydney harbour at seven years old in Manly Juniors, which he describes as a terrific boat. With a main, jib, kite, and crew he says you have all you need to explore the sea and learn.

Over course of his sailing history he has won multiple national, European and world championships and was an Olympic medallist in 1984; Australian Yachtsman of the year; and past winner of ‘Little Americas Cup’ in C Class catamarans.

He is the only sailor ever to win all three multihull ‘majors’ – World champion in A Class, B Class, and C Class.
He is the current European and World Champion in A Class

What is important to him? Family, friends and good books.

What does he do for training? Sailing, swimming, mountain hiking, and beer.

Saratoga Sailing Club's Scott Anderson winning the 2023 A-Class Catamaran Classic Division World Championships in Toulon, France in September 2023.

A Class Catamaran

Did you know that the A-Class catamaran is the fastest single handed racing catamaran in the world? In fact it is arguably the world's fastest small sailing boat upwind? 'Never start upwind of an 'A' Class unless you plan to tack off!'

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A CLASS CATAMARAN

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Sailboat Guide

A Class Catamaran

A Class Catamaran is a 18 ′ 0 ″ / 5.5 m catamaran sailboat starting in 1962.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
LOA: Length overall in feet
Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

The A CLASS CATAMARAN has undergone a steady evolution since the rule was first established in 1962. Dimensions listed are class limits, and beyond these few restrictions, the class is fairly open.

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December 3, 2014 by Sail1Design Editor Leave a Comment

The International A-Class Catamaran (A-Cat) is an ISAF international development class. It has a length of 18’, a 7.5’ beam, a minimum weight of 165lbs, and 20 square meters of sail (Peter Johnstone). Power-wise, the A-Cat is among the leaders for its size. Upwind comfortably at well over 10 knots and downwind over 20 (knots), the A-Cat is one of the quickest boats around. All major components are carbon fiber allowing it to weigh in less than almost any other boat of its size or smaller, multi or mono-hulled. Larger than a Laser at nearly the same weight, the A-Cat is easily rigged and launched in less time than it will take to read this article. The rig is a single square top main on a carbon mast with a single trapeze wire. Sails are usually made out of carbon or Kevlar fiber laminates to maximize stiffness while maintaining its ultra light status. Hulls are typically (on modern boats) with a carbon skin over a nomex honeycomb core. All of the current advancements, carbon fiber parts, square top mains and hull design, stems from the developmental nature of the class. Owners are encouraged to experiment with designs on the boat in an attempt to achieve even more speed. For these reasons, amongst others, the A-Cat is widely regarded as the fastest single-handed dinghy currently in production. Recently A-Cats have followed the high performance catamaran track and started foiling. The trickle down effect of technology from the America’s Cup has resulted in the ability to consistently produce high quality, reliable foils that make foiling significantly easier than many other foiling boats (such as the moth). See our full class profile here

Here’s the Class Page:

https://www.a-cat.org

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Australian International A Division Catamaran Association

All you need to know about sailing A Class Catamarans in Australia

A Class Sailing

The A Class Catamaran is the fastest single handed small catamaran in the world. This highly responsive lightweight boat is a joy to sail. The powerful rig means that even the heaviest sailors are on the trapeze upwind in 6 knots of breeze and flying a hull downwind (wild thing). The top sailors in the class have now mastered the art of trapezing downwind, making the boat even faster and more exciting. The boat is very easy for an experienced sailor to sail, but very difficult to sail really fast.

The A Class is a boat built specifically for racing and has very strong fleets both in Australian and overseas. The National Championship in 2011 had a highly competitive fleet of 73 boats, the largest catamaran fleet in Australia. State Championships in Qld, Vic and NSW all had over 30 competitors. Australians consistently perform well at the world championships, in 2010 taking 5 of the top 10 places, including the top 3.

The high quality of racing in the A Class often surprises those new to the class. Regular competitors include Olympic medalists and world champions in several other classes. At recent Australian National Championships, several professional sailors from Americas Cup teams have been shocked to find themselves mid-fleet, although others like Dean Barker and James Spithill have shown their ability to perform at the top of any fleet.

The A Class catamaran is a development class with very simple rules defining the boat. The key rules are:

	5.49m (18ft)
	2.3m (7ft 6.5in)
	13.94 sq m (150 sq ft)
	75kg

Full rules are available on the international site.

Several competitive designs of A-Class are commercially available, although which boat is the fastest changes as these products are constantly improved. 50 years of development have produced a very refined boat, so changes are typically incremental and boats usually remain competitive for several years.

If you are interested in a new boat, a number of manufacturers can be found under the Builders/Suppliers list on the right of page.. For secondhand boats and parts our members use the classifieds on this site .

One strong advantage of the development nature of the class is that it allows customization of a boat to suit a specific sailor. For example the weight of a sailor is much less critical on an A Class than any one design class. A heavier sailor will choose a more powerful sail and mast combination than a lighter sailor and a hull shape with more buoyancy. This usually ensures that sailing skill is the most important factor in winning races. It is common to see the top competitors using different hull shapes, mast manufacturers and sailmakers.

Come and give A Class sailing a try. There are a number of clubs where A Classes are sailed regularly and the sailors at these clubs will be happy to talk to you about getting started. Please contact your state representative ( details on our contacts page ) to find out which clubs are active in your area.

A Class Catamaran Speed Record?

Table of Contents:

The Kelsall Sailing Performance (KSP) is a measure of a boat’s relative speed potential, taking into account reported sail area, displacement, and length at the waterline. The A Class Catamaran is the fastest single-handed small catamaran in the world, with a highly responsive lightweight rig that can even heaviest sailors handle. The first recorded 500-meter speed record was set at 26.3 knots in 1972 by British sailor Tim Colman on the proa Crossbow. The International A-Class Catamaran (A-Cat) is an ISAF international development class with a length of 18, a 7.5 beam, a minimum weight of 165lbs, and 20 square meters of sail. The ‘C class is another twin, but at 25ft with a 300ft2 rig, it has become a sophisticated monster and the pinnacle of small cat design. The A-Class is divided into two sub-classes: Foilers (Open) and non-foiling (Classs). The F1x A-class catamaran is the ultimate singlehanded foiling catamaran, ultramodern, incredibly fast, agile, strong, and feather-light. The France SailGP Team has broken the SailGP racing speed record, hitting 99.94 kmh during the third Fleet Race of the Range Rover France Sail Grand Prix. The F50s are one of the fastest racing classes in history, with a predicted top speed of 52.2 knots (96.6 kmh, 60 mph). The British set a new SailGP record of 53.5kts (99kmh), breaking the former F50 speed record of 52.3kts (98.1 kmh).

📹 Awesome 29kn upwind A-Class foiling catamaran – personal speed record

Awesome and scary ride in vey difficult wind conditions of 0-22 knots TWS and wind turning direction due to thunderstorms …

How fast is a Leopard 40 catamaran?

Intentionally designed to avoid disturbances, the two technical areas are located at the rear and are isolated and accessible only from the outside. They are equipped with two engines of 250, 320, or 370 horsepower that satisfy the Leopard 40 Powercat’s high performance and reliability standards. With capabilities of reaching 17 knots at cruising speed and more than 20 knots at top speed, passengers will find agility and remarkable seaworthiness with the new Leopard 40 Powercat.

What is the top speed of a sport catamaran?

Top speeds range from 60 to 85 MPH. Today’s most popular go-fast catamarans range from 28 to 52 feet. Powered by twin inboard engines up to 1,750-HP, they can reach 180 MPH and beyond.

Speed on the water is a rush like no other, and if by chance it captures your imagination you’ll likely spend the rest of your powerboating days chasing it. Not everyone who enters the boating world discovers his or her inner speed gene. But for those who do, it quickly becomes a passion—and likely a lifelong one.

Here’s the good news for would be go-fast powerboat owners: You’ll know immediately whether you love or hate the sensation of speed on the water—and all the challenges and responsibilities that come with it. As the water rushes by and the shoreline blurs, you’ll either be thrilled or terrified. There’s nothing in-between.

But assuming you end up on the “love” side of the equation, there are more than a few things that you, as a novice getting into go-fast boating, need to know. What follows is a quick, though by no means comprehensive, question-and-answer guide. It won’t provide everything you need to know, for the education of a powerboat owner, especially in the high-performance realm, never stops. But it will help you understand some of the basics.

What is the fastest recorded speed of a sailboat?

The idea of an instantaneous speed record is not officially sanctioned by the WSSRC and is, therefore, not officially measured or documented. The highest speed ever reported is from the crew of Vestas Sailrocket 2: on 24 November 2012 they recorded a top speed of 68.33 knots in a 25–29-knot wind.

Previously, the highest speed ever reported was from the crew of l’Hydroptère. During an attempt on 21 December 2008 at Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, they recorded a top speed of approximately 61 knots (speed not verified or registered on any onboard instrumentation) during a 45 knot gust of wind. This heavy gust of wind overpowered the sailboat, causing it to capsize at high speed. The crew sustained only minor injuries.

“Sovereign of the Seas”, 1852, 258 ft, the fastest and longest ship yet built when she was launched in New York, designed and built by Donald Mackay, America’s foremost clipper designer. On her maiden voyage, she sailed New York to San Francisco in 103 days. This ship achieved the fastest ever recorded speed of a sailing vessel (22 knots).

What is the fastest point of sail on a catamaran?

No go zone:This is the direction that you can’t sail in. Your sails will start to flap, and your boat will come to a stop.
Close hauled: This is as close to the wind as you can go. You’ll need to make sure your sails are pulled in nice and tight.
Close reach: Not quite as tricky as close hauled, with close reach you’ll need to let your sails move about a bit.
Beam reach: This is the fastest and easiest point of sail. The wind will be on the side of your boat (beam) and you’ll sail with your sails out halfway.
Broad reach: On a broad reach you’ll be heading a bit further downwind, so you’ll have to let your sails out a bit more.
Training run: Here, the wind will be slightly to one side of your stern making it a bit easier to steer than in a dead run.
Run: With the wind directly behind you this is the trickiest point of sail to steer as it can be quite unstable. On a run your sails can be let out on the opposite side of the boat to catch the wind, sailing goosewinged, or with a big sail called a spinnaker.

By understanding the different points of sail, you can adjust your sails to control and optimise your boats speed. You can also steer your boat to make the most of the wind and move more efficiently through the water. Remember, practice is key, so get out there and have fun!

Every time you change sailing direction, even if it’s just for a short time, you’ll need to trim your sails depending on your heading. As you turn toward the wind, this is called ‘heading up’ and you must pull your sails in, ‘sheeting in’. When you turn away from the wind, ‘bearing away’, you’ll need to let the sails out, or ‘ease the sheets.’

Which is faster catamaran or trimaran?

If, on the other hand, you enjoy the thrill of high speeds, but you’re worried about safety, a trimaran may be right for you. A recreational trimaran fitted with daggerboards or centreboards can typically sail faster than a catamaran and perform better upwind.

A performance cat may be a great option for those who need to get in and out of marinas often but want to sail fast. And if you want the fastest, most fun boat to sail, opt for a racing trimaran.

Whatever your priorities, a boat that’s the perfect balance between them all exists. Although, of course, you will need to take budget into consideration.

DECKEE helps you plan, prepare and explore the waterways with confidence.

What is the fastest a boat has ever traveled?

317.596 mph Record holdersSpeedCraftCaptain(s)317.596 mph (511.121 km/h)Spirit of AustraliaKen Warby288.60 mph (464.46 km/h)Spirit of AustraliaKen Warby285.22 mph (459.02 km/h)HustlerLee Taylor276.33 mph (444.71 km/h)Bluebird K7Donald Campbell.

The world unlimited Water Speed Record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle, irrespective of propulsion method. The current unlimited record is 511.11km/h (317.59mph), achieved by Australian Ken Warby in the Spirit of Australia in 1978.

The record is one of the sporting world’s most hazardous competitions. Seven of the thirteen people who have attempted the record since June 1930 have died. Two official attempts to beat Ken Warby’s 1978 record resulted in the pilot’s death: Lee Taylor and Craig Arfons. Despite this, there are several teams currently working to make further attempts.

The record is ratified by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM).

How fast is a seawind catamaran?

What’s she like under power? Speed, manouevrability?With one engine running at 2400 RPM, we sit at about 5.6 kts in light to moderate conditions. We haven’t tried top speed (both engines at full RPM) but I’d guess it’s around 7 kts. Manoeuvrability is excellent as the boat has large rudders for a production catamaran. We have steerage at very slow speeds. We can turn on the spot using the engines, like any production catamaran.

Is she easy to dock, what’s the visibility like?Docking is easy thanks to the excellent visibility and manoeuvrability.

What is she like at anchor?We upgraded our chain (80m of 10mm) and anchor (25kg Rocna). With this combination we sleep well and in comfort.

What is the fastest sailing ship ever?

Sovereign of the Seas (clipper)HistoryUnited StatesBeam45.6 ft (13.9 m)Draft29.2 ft (8.9 m)NotesHas held the record for the fastest speed ever for a sailing ship, 22 kn (41 km/h), since 1854.

Sovereign of the Seas, a clipper ship built in 1852, was a sailing vessel notable for setting the world record for the fastest sailing ship, with a speed of 22 knots (41km/h).(a)

Built by Donald McKay of East Boston, Massachusetts, Sovereign of the Seas was the first ship to travel more than 400 nautical miles (740 kilometres) in 24 hours. On the second leg of her maiden voyage, she made a record passage from Honolulu, Hawaii, to New York City in 82 days. She then broke the record to Liverpool, England, making the passage in 13 days 13+1⁄2 hours. In 1853 she was chartered by James Baines of the Black Ball Line, Liverpool for the Australia trade.

In 1854, Sovereign of the Seas recorded the fastest speed for a sailing ship, logging 22 knots (41km/h).

How fast is a race catamaran?

How fast can a catamaran sail and what are the speeds for different types of catamarans?. As we said earlier, the speed of a catamaran depends on the wind conditions and the size of the boat. Most catamarans can sail at speeds between 15 and 30 knots. Some racing catamarans can reach speeds of up to 30 knots. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule and some catamarans can sail faster or slower depending on the conditions.

However, the average cruising speed for a catamaran is around 12 knots. This means that it would take approximately five hours to travel 60 nautical miles.

Factors that affect a catamaran’s speed. There are a few factors that can affect the speed of a catamaran. The first is the wind. If the wind is blowing against the boat, it will slow it down. The second factor is the size of the boat. A larger catamaran will usually be slower than a smaller one. The third factor is the type of sails that are being used. Some sails are designed to go faster in certain conditions than others.

What is the top speed of a catamaran?

How fast can cruising catamarans usually go?. Cruising catamarans can reach speeds that can exceed their respective theoretical hull speed thanks to their light weight, generous amounts of sail area, and minimized wetted surface area. It is not uncommon for them to reach sailing speeds of 30 knots or more. They can also offer better stability than a monohull, making them an ideal choice for long ocean passages.

The fastest catamarans on the market benefit from high-tech materials used in construction, such as carbon-fiber composites, which make them lighter and stiffer. These materials help reduce displacement and wetted surface, which in turn increases speed. The design of a catamaran also plays a major role in its speed, with catamarans featuring narrow and aerodynamic hulls often being faster than those with wide and flat hulls.

The weight factor that influence the speed. First and foremost, weight is a crucial factor in the performance of a catamaran. A lean, agile, and light boat requires less energy to move, making it faster, more fuel-efficient, and easier to handle. In contrast, heavy and packed boats with additional equipment or luxuries tend to be slower, less fuel-efficient, and difficult to maneuver.

Can a trimaran flip?

Can my catamaran or trimaran flip over?This is theoretically possible, and has happened in very rare heavy-weather situations when EVERY vessel is in distress. It takes very high winds, too much sail (see reefing, above), and large breaking waves to flip a modern cruising cat or tri. Multihull sailors find it reassuring to know that their cat or tri will remain on the surface, as a big liferaft and spotting target, while ballasted monohulls caught in the same situation are more likely to end up on the bottom of the sea, with their crew bobbing around (if they are lucky) in an inflatable liferaft.

Motoring Performance/ManeuverabilityCruising catamarans and trimarans, with their easily driven hull forms and light weight, enjoy excellent fuel efficiency when compared to monohulls, and track very straight. Cats almost always have twin engines, set many feet apart, which allow for tremendous control in tight situations. In fact, the boat can be spun in place or crabbed sideways without any way on. Try that on a monohull. Prop walk is minimal or nonexistent as well, and the redundancy of a second engine is appreciated should a mechanical issue arise underway.Nearly all trimarans have just one engine, so the differences there are slight.

Crew and Living SpaceNo doubt you’ve already realized the enormous gains in living space afforded by modern cruising cats. Typically a cat will have the space below equivalent to a monohull 10+ feet larger. When combined with added cockpit space, possibly a flybridge, and more than doubling the deck space, it becomes a whole different ball game. It’s important to note that you not only gain a tremendous amount of space, but nearly all of that space if very livable and comfortable, whether at anchor or underway. It should be noted, however, that trimarans don’t show an increase in interior volume, and in fact tend to be smaller below than monohulls of the same size. This is mitigated some by the additional storage in the amas and added net space, but the narrower, performance-oriented main hull tends to be less than palatial. Show me roomy catamarans.

Are trimarans safe in rough seas?

Now let’s talk about safety. The trimaran is considered the safest boat on the market. The three hulls provide greater resistance and better balance, especially in rough seas and strong winds. As the wind increases, the leeward float will sink, braking the boat. This increases safety. Nevertheless, you should always bear in mind that capsizing is always a possibility, even with a trimaran.

A fuse system completes the trimaran’s safety. This will prevent any breakage problems.

The difference also lies in the uses to which the two boats are put.

📹 Capsize during Sailspeedmaster record attempt – 50kmh gusts – A-Class foiling catamaran

Upwind foiling at about 20 knots (40kmh) boat speed is an adrenaline kick, as apparent winds climb beyond 35 knots (70kmh).

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A Class Catamaran Upwind Foiling?

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I am a school teacher who was bitten by the travel bug many decades ago. My husband Billy has come along for the ride and now shares my dream to travel the world with our three children.The kids Pollyanna, 13, Cooper, 12 and Tommy 9 are in love with plane trips (thank goodness) and discovering new places, experiences and of course Disneyland.

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F1x A-class foiling catamaran

World champion, lighter = better, craftsmanship, meet the foiling f1x a-class catamaran.

This is the ultimate singlehanded foiling catamaran of the moment: ultramodern, incredibly fast, very agile, extremely strong and feather-light, in an aerodynamic and ergonomic design. The perfect total package, packed in 1 foiling catamaran. This is the world’s coolest boat for singlehanded races and the winner of several A-cat world championships and many other sailing races.

The 2020-F1x A-cat is exactly the same foiling catamaran that made Mischa Heemskerk Vice-World Champion at the Herveybay Worlds 2018 in Australia and World Champion at Weymouth 2019. All our foiling F1x A-class catamarans come straight, ready to race and ‘Mischa-tuned’ from our factory.

Unique design enables top performances

The F1x A-class foiling catamaran is the ultimate reflection of our current design language. The aerodynamic design accentuates the performance qualities of this super fast foiling racing boat. The sophisticated deck plan provides clear control and minimal air resistance.

Foils The rudders and daggerboard foils used on the F1x A-class foiling catamarans are produced with the highest quality carbon pre-preg fibers. The foils are cured in our own Autoclave . Our winning foil design was created in close cooperation with Glenn Ashby and the designers of AC Team New Zealand .

Construction The F1x A-cat is manufactured entirely according to the carbon pre-preg/ Nomex production method, and cured in our Autoclave. This technology is the same as used in the aerospace industry and within other foiling boats like for example, the America’s Cup.

Design The design of the F1x foiling A-class catamaran was completely conceived by the DNA design team and made at DNA’s own yard. In the DNA design team Pieterjan Dwarshuis, Mischa Heemskerk and the renowned Dutch industrial design engineer Rudo Enserink worked closely together to create the perfect foiling A-class catamaran.

We build your new foiling boat!

Technical details.

The F1x A-class foiling catamaran has a number of unique features that improve performance. For example:

Semi ridged trampoline. Gives extra torsional stiffness to the boat and increases its aerodynamic characteristics.
Patented main-sheet-wheel-system. For more direct and faster trim of the main sail.
Aerodynamically placed traveller car.
Flexible daggerboard casings. For minimal water absorption in floating mode.
Aerodynamically shaped ‘beams’.
Adjustable T-rudders. Foiling with rudder differential is possible.

Specifications

LOA: 5.49 m BOA: 2.30 m Max. draught: 1.20 m Sail area: 13.94 m Total weight: ca. 53 kg Top speed: 31 kn Extra: All measurements according to IACA Class regulations.

Buy a champion's boat!

Are you excited to buy a F1x A-class foiling catamaran from DNA Performance Sailing? Please fill in our contact form:

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How Fast Do Catamarans Go?

‍ Catamarans are known for their speed, and some vessels are fast enough to break world sailing speed records.

Catamarans can go between 15 and 30 knots, with the fastest achieving speeds well in excess of 60 knots. Sailing catamarans are sometimes twice as fast as monohulls and cut through the water with greater efficiency.

In this article, we’ll cover how fast catamarans can go based on factors such as size, sail area, and design category. Additionally, we’ll compare catamaran speeds to monohulls and trimarans and cover the reasons why multi-hull sailboats blow monohulls out of the water.

We sourced the information used in this article from sailing guides and hull speed calculations. Additionally, we sourced information directly from the manufacturers of common catamarans.

Table of contents

‍ Catamaran Speed by Type

Catamaran design can be split into different categories. After all, different vessels are designed for different tasks, as speed isn’t always the most important design consideration.

The fastest type of catamaran is the ultralight racing catamaran. These vessels have extremely narrow hulls and a remarkable planing ability. They’re designed to pierce waves and often achieve speeds in excess of 45 knots or greater, depending on conditions.

The second fastest catamaran variety is the sport catamaran. Sport catamarans often include a fairly good level of creature comforts in the cabin. They’re technically hybrid designs, because they are envisioned as a combination between a racer and a cruiser. Sport catamarans can achieve 30 knots or greater.

Cruising catamarans are designed primarily for safety and comfort. They’re often used for long offshore passages, where speed is important, but comfort is king. Despite their accommodations, cruising catamarans can still achieve a respectable 15 to 20 knots of speed—sometimes 50% faster than similarly-equipped monohulls.

Why are Catamarans So Fast?

Catamarans are remarkable vessels that can achieve amazing speeds. As a result of their unconventional design, typical calculations for hull speed (such as those used for monohulls) don’t always apply.

But what makes catamarans so much faster than equivalent monohulls? The first and most obvious speedy design element are the hulls themselves.

Catamarans don’t have a deep keel or a centerboard. This is because the second hull acts as a stabilizing device, and it helps the vessel track straight. The lack of a keel reduces weight (and equally important). It also reduces drag.

Additionally, catamarans behave in strange ways while underway. The hulls have a tendency to rise out of the water further the faster they go. This further reduces drag and makes it easier for the vessel’s speed to climb once it starts to move.

One additional characteristic is how the vessel’s sails point relative to the wind. Catamarans keep their sails perpendicular to the wind, which allows them to harness energy more efficiently. This is because, at a perpendicular angle, less wind energy is lost by spillage over the edge of the sails.

Are Catamarans Faster than Monohulls?

Yes, catamarans are typically faster than monohulls. They’re also a lot more stable, as their spaced-out hulls provide better motion comfort in rough seas. Catamaran hulls are narrower than monohulls, which also reduces drag and increases speed.

Catamaran vs. Monohull Speeds

We know that catamarans are faster than monohulls in most situations. But how much faster are they? Here’s a table of hull speeds for monohulls, which is a useful reference when comparing speed. Hull speed isn’t the absolute fastest that a boat can go, but it’s a good practical estimate for understanding the hydrodynamic limitations of single-hull designs.

Hull speed calculations for catamarans are more complicated. This is because catamarans have a greater length-to-beam ratio. And due to their narrow hulls and open center, they aren’t affected by the same hydrodynamic drag forces that monohulls are limited by.

For example, a 55-foot monohull sailboat with a waterline length has a hull speed of 9.4 knots or 10.9 mph. Its actual speed could exceed that in the right conditions, but rarely by more than a few knots.

Compare that to an efficient 51-foot catamaran, which can easily achieve speeds in excess of 20 knots in reasonable winds. That’s more than double the hull speed of a monohull with a similar waterline length and proves that catamarans operate under a completely different set of rules.

Wave Piercing

One aspect of catamaran design that makes them superior speeders is their ability to pierce waves. Specially designed catamarans have minimal buoyancy at the bow, which allows them to slice through waves instead of going over them.

This increases the speed at which catamarans can cover the distance. Think about it—a boat going over a wave has to use more energy to reach the same destination, as the height of the wave almost makes the distance further.

It’s like walking over a hill or on flat ground—you’ll take more steps walking up and down the hill than in a straight flat line. Wave piercing catamarans enjoy better stability, and they ‘take the flat road’ to a greater extent than monohulls.

Do Catamarans Plane?

Planing is when a boat’s hull rises out of the water due to hydrodynamic lift. This increases speed and efficiency, as there’s less drag but sufficient contact for stability. It also reduces rolling, as the bow only contacts the taller portions of the waves.

Catamarans have planing characteristics, but they generally don’t plane as dramatically as powerboats. This is still worth noting, as catamarans are specifically designed to use the phenomenon of hydrodynamic lift to gain speed and efficiency.

You’ll visibly notice a catamaran’s hull rising out of the water as it increases in speed. Compare that to a displacement monohull design (such as a classical cruising sailboat with a deep keel), which won’t rise out of the water in any significant way.

Are Catamarans Faster than Trimarans?

A trimaran is a catamaran with an additional hull in the center. Trimarans are usually less common than catamarans, but they have some of the same design benefits as other multi-hull sailboats.

At first glance, it would seem logical that trimarans are slower than catamarans. After all, they have an extra hull in the center, which likely increases weight and drag. However, there are more important factors at play here.

Trimarans are almost universally faster than catamarans. This has to do with weight distribution. Trimarans center their weight over the middle hull, using the outer hulls primarily for stability. This allows them to reap the benefits of a catamaran while increasing the efficiency of the wind power it captures.

Fastest Catamarans

Catamarans are popular for racing. There are several world records held by catamarans and numerous production boats with especially impressive speed-to-size ratios. Here are a few of the fastest racing and production catamarans ever built.

Fastest Sailboat Ever—Vestas Sailrocket 2

The Vestas Sailrocket is a specialized racing boat designed only for speed. This incredible vessel is actually the fastest sailboat ever built—and no wonder it’s a catamaran. A monohull simply can’t achieve record-breaking speeds when put head-to-head with a lightweight multi-hull.

The vessel, which earned the world sailboat speed record in 2012, has a modest 150 to 235 square feet of sail. Nonetheless, it managed to achieve a remarkable top speed of 65.45 knots in only 25 knots of wind. That’s about 72 miles per hour—in a sailboat.

Soon, a team of Swiss engineers will release their own version designed to beat the 65-knot speed record. Their vessel, which is a hydrofoil, will attempt to hit an incredible target speed of about 80 knots.

Outremer Catamarans

But what about production catamarans? How do they stack up, and how fast can they go? French boat builder Outremer Catamarans builds some of the fastest production catamarans ever built. These are not specialty racing boats—in fact, they’re average-sized cruising catamarans.

Let’s use the larger Outremer 51 as an example. This high-end cruising cat is known for its almost outrageous speed capabilities. In ideal conditions, owners of the Outremer 51 have reported speeds exceeding 20 knots for extended periods.

That’s a production catamaran with speeds that rival 20th-century warships. With such a fast boat, the world’s oceans start to appear a lot smaller. Plus, the genius design of the Outremer 51 allows it to be crewed by just two people.

But how do Outremer catamarans achieve such high speeds? The secret is in precise engineering and hull design, along with a sail plan that’s perfectly catered to the vessel. The hulls are sleek and narrow and designed to cut through the water with minimal drag.

From the bow, the Outremer 51 hulls look paper-thin. They increase in width gradually, which eliminates areas of sudden drag. These narrow hulls evenly distribute the vessel’s 21,825-lb displacement. Its low-buoyancy bows reduce drag and blast through waves instead of riding over them.

Daniel Wade

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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How Fast Do Catamarans Go? 5 Examples (With Pictures)

A catamaran is generally more balanced on the water and can be faster than a multi-hull vessel.

Unless you compare them to foiling monohulls like the new America’s Cup boats that sail at over 50 knots, they are not recreational vessels.

In this article, we will look at how fast each type of catamaran will go.

Table of Contents

Here are the numbers before we dive into the details:


Sport Catamarans	30 knots
Cruising Catamarans	15 knots
Racing Catamarans	45 knots
Power Cruising Catamarans	70 knots
Swath Catamarans	30 knots

Average Speed For Sailing Catamarans

Catamarans can vary in size from 14 ft to over 100 ft. Catamarans can come in a wide variety of design types.

Sailing Catamarans have been attempting to make advancements over their mono-hulled counterparts.

These advancements include:

Foils that assist with lifting the vessel out of the water.
Stability advancements.
Racers that can maintain their speed while out in the ocean.

3 Different Types of Sailing Catamarans:

1) sport catamarans.

One type of sailing catamaran is a sport catamaran, which is otherwise known as recreational. These are typically supposed to have a small crew and launch and land on beaches.

Sport catamarans do not normally have living quarters and are ideal for day trips. Resorts or other rental services often use these.

These can also be used for racing.

Sport vessels have been known to travel over 30 knots but can speed over 40 knots in the proper conditions.

2) Cruising Catamarans

Another type of sailing catamaran is a cruising catamaran. These often come with complete living accommodations, so they sacrifice speed over their sportier counterparts.

They can average between 9 and 10 knots, depending on the conditions. The top speed is typically around 15 knots.

It would be best if you were careful with catamarans that have living quarters. The more you weigh it down, the less speed you will have.

3) Racing Catamarans

The final type of sailing catamaran is an ocean racing catamaran.

These boats are large and can reach over 100 feet in length.

The top speed of this type of catamaran is around 45 knots.

Because of the prize money for entering these in races, much research goes into their advancement.

Average Speed Of Power Catamarans

Catamarans with power motors fill a different type of boating category.

These are commonly used when speed and smoothness are favored over space or capacity.

Because of their stability, catamarans are good vessels for combating seasickness as well as transportation. We have a separate article here with all you should know about catamarans and (how to overcome) seasickness .

On a commercial level, these can be used for ferries for both people and vehicles. They are used for short term travel, often to or from islands.

Like sailing catamarans, there are a few types of power catamarans.

1) Power Cruising Catamarans

Similar to sailing cruising catamarans, they also have power cruising catamarans. These also have living quarters and are stable while out on the water. The speed of these vessels highly depends on the motors equipped and the size of the boat itself.

Like passenger transport or ferries, catamarans have a high speed of about 40 to 70 miles per hour.

These are made to travel at great speeds to allow their commuters the shortest possible ride to their destination.

The military also utilizes power catamarans. They use power catamarans to transport military cargo. These ships are ideal because of their speed, holding capacity, and ability to venture into shallow ports.

2) Swath Catamarans

They also have small-waterplane-area twin-hull vessels. These are called SWATHs.

These differ from the average catamaran because they also have submarine-like hulls that stay completely under the water.

Due to the hulls being submerged, they are not normally affected by waves. These are used most often in the ocean as research vessels. They can also be used for certain types of yachts. Because of their stability, they are good vessels for furniture that will not require as much securing.

These often travel between 20 and 30 knots.

Some catamarans are designed for wave piercing. These are made to pierce through waves rather than sail over them, causing them to be faster. These can be used as passenger ferries, yachts, and military vessels as well.

3) Whitewater Catamarans

There are also recreational catamarans made for whitewater travel. These are sometimes called “cata-rafts.”

They are made using two inflatable hulls connected with a scaffold. These are lightweight and perfect for whitewater sports.

They are even able to be packed away in a backpack. They can take up to 20 minutes to assemble, including inflation.

They have high speeds on white water rivers and can be most compared to a canoe, kayak, whitewater raft, or other white water vessels.

Performance Characteristics Of Catamarans

Catamarans require four times the power to double their speed. A mono-hull vessel, however, would require eight times the power to double their speed.

This is because a Catamaran has less resistance in the water.

This is also good for conserving and using less energy.

Catamarans are also more stable in the water. This stability is effective at resisting heeling or capsizing. A multi-hull vessel would require four times the force to capsize as a similar-sized mono-hull vessel.

The general sailing in a catamaran is smoother and allows for activities that are not always possible on a mono-hull sailboat.

Are Catamarans Faster than Mono-Hull Vessels?

Because catamarans have less water resistance, they are generally faster than mono-hull vessels.

This is because their hulls are smaller, which means they have a smaller bow wave to fight.

A bow wave is a wave created by the displacement of water by the bow of a ship. After a certain speed, a boat has to start hauling itself over its own bow wave.

The larger hull a ship has, the larger its bow wave will be and the more power required to fight it.

Catamarans have two small and narrow hulls, so they do not have much of an issue with their bow wave. This is one reason they are usually faster than a similar-sized mono-hull vessel.

Catamarans can be between 20-30 percent faster than their monohull counterparts.

Issues with catamarans over mono-hulls are that they can take more time to turn.

How Is The Speed Measured?

Boats commonly measure speed using GPS tracking devices to measure distance traveled. Speed while sailing is measured in knots. A knot is one nautical mile per hour, which equals about 1.15 miles per hour.

How Fast Are Catamarans Compared To Other Boat Types?

Sailing catamarans typically average about 10 knots.
Pontoon boats average about 20 mph.
A powerboat cruiser can average anywhere between 30 and 50 mph.
Cigarette boats can even reach close to 90 mph in the proper conditions.
Sailboats average between 6 and 12 mph depending on wind conditions. This includes mono-hull between 6 to 8 mph and catamarans and trimarans between 9 and 10mph

Two different factors can determine the speed of sailing ships:

1) The hull type as listed above.

Different hulls rest in the water more or less than other types. The less of the hull that is underwater, the faster it can go.

This is because the less of the hull in the water, the less drag created while sailing.

2) The length of the boat

The longer the boat, the faster it can go. Every boat has a maximum hull speed that cannot be exceeded unless the boat can plane on the water’s surface or be lifted on hydrofoils. For most boats, the longer the boat, the higher the maximum hull speed is.

Speed Vs. Comfort Considerations For Catamarans

If you are looking for a catamaran, you have a lot of options.

You can choose to prioritize speed or comfort.

After deciding to purchase a catamaran, the type of catamaran you should look at depends on where and what you are using it for.

You will want to make sure that you look at what type of water you will be traveling in, how many people you are traveling with on average, and what type of speed you hope to achieve.

One thing you will want to keep in mind before the purchase of a catamaran is storage. If you intend to store your boat in a marina, you are often charged for two slips due to the beam, or width, of a catamaran versus the standard mono-hull vessel.

Catamarans can be beneficial for those who get seasick because they offer a steadier ride and the ability to have more open air space. Because the living quarters are not inside the hull and under the water’s surface, you have more windows and visibility.

Both sailing and power catamarans are viable options. Also, sailing catamarans can come with back-up power engines for low winds or situations such as docking in a marina.

Catamarans that have twin engines can offer more control and precision than those on a mono-hull vessel. This is good for tight and busy areas or navigating marinas.

Overall, there are plenty of options for you, and they offer many benefits over their mono-hull counterparts.

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W est r iver s ailing c lub.

THE A CLASS

The A- Class Catamaran (A Cat) offers incredible speed, amazing responsiveness and is totally addictive. The A-Class catamaran is a single handed open development class. Both foiling and non-foiling boats are included in class.

Carbon hulls 18’ long - 7’6” wide and a 30’ carbon mast

Fully Battened Sail with sail area of 150 sq.

Weight 165-175 lbs

Competitive for a wide range of ages and weight. Participants in the recent North American Championships ranged in weight from 135 to 220 lbs and ages from 16 to 75. Club races and many regional and national regattas regularly attract 15-50 boats.

For more information on the United States A Class Association please visit our website at https://usaca.info/ and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USAClass .

The West River Sailing Club is an ideal location for sailing catamarans. It offers an easy launch that's protected from most wind directions with quick access to the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The A Cats are part of a special catamaran community at the club. During the season all fleets race together on Tuesday nights, which is usually followed by food and drink, and sailing tales.

In 2009 I came to an open house at the West River Sailing Club. I had never sailed before and wanted to learn about the club and look into sailing lessons. While I was at the open house I was offered a ride on an A Cat. That's all it took. 3 months later I was in my 1st A Cat regatta. Now I do 12-15 regattas a year in locations from Florida to Canada and I even went to Australia for a World Championship Regatta.

Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions about the A Class Catamarans, our fleet or our club.

FLEET CAPTAIN

Fleet communication.

The A Class catamarans are a part of the West River Catamaran google group. It's easy for anybody to join! This is how the fleet captain, the fleet, and others at WRSC communicate specifically to each other! All important fleet specific information is sent through this group. To join, send a blank email to [email protected] for the admin to approve you.

The 8 Fastest Cruising Catamarans (With Speedchart)

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Cruising catamarans are some of the most comfortable boats to roam the water, making them fantastic for both long-term voyages and short-term vacations. Still, cruising catamarans can be great racing boats, but just how fast can they go?

Some of the fastest cruising catamarans include the Gunboat 68 (35 knots), Outremer 45 (25 knots), ORC50 (25 knots), FastCat 435 (20 knots), TS 42 (35 knots), and Lagoon 440 (20 knots). Yet, there are many more cats that can reach 35 knots safely.

If you are interested in knowing about the fastest cruising catamarans, I have you covered. I will be discussing some of the most popular, fastest cruising catamarans and the features that make them so excellent for sailors in need of speed. You will learn more about each catamaran’s speed and amenities, and I will let you know a trick or two to maximize your speed under sail.

CATAMARAN	SPEED (Knots)
Gunboat 68	35+
TS 42	35
Outremer 45	25
ORC 50	25
FastCat 435	20
Lagoon 440	20
Privilege Signature 510 (For reference)	13
Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42 (For reference)	10

How Fast Are Cruising Catamarans?

On average, cruising catamarans can reach top speeds of 15 knots , around 17.3 mph (27.84 kph). However, some exceptional, racing-designed cruising catamarans can reach up to 30+ knots in the right wind conditions.

When you want to better understand catamaran hull characteristics, I suggest the book Catamarans a Complete Guide (amazon link) by the president of Aeroyacht catamarans and that you check out my article Why catamarans capsize .

Factors That Impact Speed

Weight & size.

When you consider a catamaran’s speed, you will need to keep in mind the boat’s weight and narrowness. A vessel that can travel at 15 knots will still move slower if the boat is heavy or has a wide, extensive hull. When increasing the total weight of the boat, the boat “sits” lower in the water, thus increasing water drag and reducing speed.

Why trimarans are faster than catamarans!

Now that we know how weight impacts sailing characteristics, it follows that; if you are planning on racing your catamaran, you should remove as much luggage or extra gear as possible. Eliminating as much weight as possible will help you travel at your cat’s maximum speed .

Narrow Hulls

The hydrodynamics of the ship will heavily affect your speed. Narrower boats can chop through the water with less effort, making slender ships with pointed hulls far faster than wide vessels. So if you are looking for the fastest one available, you should look for a slender hull.

Slim hulls vs. space is a common tradeoff for catamarans optimized for family sailing .

Wind will also affect your ship’s speed, so do not expect your cruising catamaran to reach the maximum speed without heavy wind. Generally, cruising catamarans have two large sails (at least) to power them through the water, and some are so efficient that they can travel even faster than the wind.

Although a strong wind is needed to energize the sails and move the boat, too much wind will instead make the sails less efficient, and maximum speed is most often attained at lower wind speeds but with flat water.

Light Weight Materials

Faster cruising catamarans are often made from carbon fiber materials and fiberglass to keep the weight down. If you are looking for the quickest catamaran that you can find, you should note the materials that the ship is made out of and try to get one that is primarily made from carbon, glass, and resin materials.

While you are looking for the perfect catamaran for you, you should keep in mind what you NEED and what is NICE with your ship. Usually, this decision is between size and speed, but some of these excellent vessels have both.

Lightweight materials are usually costly; for example, a carbon fiber mast will probably cost you +$20 000, depending on the cat’s size.

I have written a buyer’s guide that explains the concept of NEED vs. NICE , which will make choosing the right boat faster and more accurate.

Gunboat 68 (+35Kts)

Gunboat 68 is a cruising catamaran designed to reach the highest speeds possible. Made by Gunboat, the ship uses Grand-Prix racing boats’ designs to develop the speediest cruising catamaran on the market.

Gunboat 68 is made entirely from carbon composites, which keeps the ship lightweight and fast. Gunboat 68 is the perfect catamaran for anyone who wants to reach the highest speeds possible while maintaining control of the vessel and not bouncing around too much.

Gunboat 68 has comfortable, spacious living quarters, though it also has a spacious deck with luxurious seating. Indeed, this cat has it all, making it one of the best cruising catamarans for racers and casual sailors. The design maximizes all of the living spaces and uses lightweight materials to add elegance and luxury to a speedy racing catamaran.

Gunboat 68 is one of the fastest cruising cats out there, with its maximum speed at more than 30 knots . Gunboat 68 can achieve these fast speeds, thanks to its lightweight construction and narrow hull design.

Still, Gunboat can customize your ship’s plan to accommodate your needs. Whether you are looking for a faster, more lightweight boat with a more extensive sail or a more comfortable cruiser, Gunboat 68 is an excellent option for you.

Specifications

Maximum Speed: 35 knots
Length: 68 ft (20.75 m)
Beam: 29.9 ft (9.1 m)
Draft: 3.9 ft (1.2 m) board up and 9.84 ft (3.8 m) board down
Displacement: 23.7 tonnes

TS 42 (ORC 42)

The TS, or Tres Simple , cruising catamarans, designed by Marsaudon Composites, are some of the fastest cruising catamarans in the world.

Marsaudon developed the ship’s plans using racing boats’ streamlined designs and combined them with a cruising catamaran’s comfortable living spaces. The TS 42 has an inverted hull which helps it glide on the water swiftly without requiring much fuel, but it also has a spacious below-deck area with plenty of luxuries.

TS cruising catamarans are often considered the fastest cruisers on the market, with their speed comfortably reaching upwards of 35 knots in the right wind conditions. Generally, TS catamarans can sail at 20 knots, even with moderate wind. They are the perfect catamaran for racers and high-speed travelers, and yet they still have the amenities of a pleasant live-in vessel.

The TS 42 has a large galley and comfortable cabins, making it a cozy home or vacation vessel. With multiple bathrooms, large windows, and open lounge spaces, these catamarans are superbly comfortable to live in.

The deck and cabin space are divided by a large, openable window, which adds extra light and ventilation to the living areas. It also has plenty of on-deck space, which is rare in such a small vessel with an inverted hull.

If you think I’m using too many confusing nautical terms, you’ll find all the answers on my Catamaran parts explained page .

Length: 42.8 ft (13 m)
Beam: 24.3 ft (7.4 m)
Draft: 4.9 ft (1.5 m) with boards up and 7.5 ft (2.3 m) with boards down
Displacement: 5.8 tonnes

Outremer 45

Based in France, Outremer (pronounced uutremeer 😉 ) designed their Outremer 45 to be a long-lasting cruising catamaran that sails smoothly at high speeds. The Outremer 45 can reach about 15 knots, but the most comfortable sailing speed is 10 knots. However, it can travel up to 25 knots in the right wind conditions, making it a quick ship with all of a perfect cruising catamaran’s luxuries.

It is made for durability from carbon, vinyl ester, and divinycell so that it can last many years without repairs. The Outremer 45 has a narrow hull, and it is designed to be as thin as possible to maximize speed and fuel efficiency. Outremer 45 still has comfortable living quarters with large windows and lounge spaces within the boat. Indeed, it sacrifices no comfort for speed.

In this article, I talk a lot about catamaran characteristics, both interior and exterior, if that’s something you want to better understand, then I recommend an article where I write about trade-offs in design choices .

The Outremer 45 was initially designed to be a boat that would last 50 or more years, and it excels in its durability. It has an open, uniquely expansive side deck and plenty of on-deck conveniences that make sailing a breeze in the ORC50.

With supreme safety features such as tall railings, slip-free grips on deck, and enclosed lounge spaces, it is one of the safest catamarans available (is safety your top concern? I wrote a list of the safest catamarans on the market).

Maximum Speed: 25 knots
Length: 48 ft (14.6 m)
Beam: 23.3 ft (7.1 m)
Draft: 3.3 ft (1 m) with boards up and 6.7 ft (2.04 m) with boards down
Displacement: 8.2 to 11.1 tonnes

Marsaudon Composites ORC50

Marsaudon Composites designed the ORC50, or Ocean Rider Catamaran 50, with both speed and comfort in mind. The ORC50 can be used for cruising, but it is also a great racing boat that has been awarded honors from many races worldwide.

Marsaudon borrowed designs from racing skippers to plan the ORC50, bringing together a cruiser’s comfort with the speed of an award-winning racing boat.

This cruising catamaran is lightweight, which allows it to gain speed at a fast rate, but still has comfortable living quarters inside the boat. It has a rotating carbon mast, which helps to eliminate turbulence over the mainsail and therefore increasing sail efficiency and speed!

With strong winds, the ORC50 can reach up to 23 knots , making it extremely fast for a cruising catamaran. The ORC50 can easily reach speeds much faster than the wind speed, which is a unique quality of this fast, yet comfortable catamaran.

The ORC50 is an excellent long-term living ship with its many organizational compartments, expansive galley, and well-ventilated sleeping cabin. It also has plenty of couches and seating areas built into the boat, and its intuitive design adds plenty of comfort to the cruising catamaran without weighing down the ship.

Length: 50 ft (15.23 m)
Beam: 27 ft (8.2 m)
Draft: 5.6 ft (1.7 m) with boards up and 8.9 ft (2.7 m) with boards down
Displacement: 13 tonnes

FastCat 435

African Cat’s catamarans, including the FastCat 435, are designed for speed and racing. This ship is mainly composed of epoxy, fiberglass, and carbon components, making it very lightweight to ensure that it travels as swiftly as possible.

The FastCat 435 may be as light as possible, but it is durable enough to last for many years in the most extreme conditions.

The FastCat 435 has comfortable living quarters and well-designed comfort spaces so that you can get the most out of your trips. The FastCat also has a green hybrid design, and it uses primarily electric power, which can help you prolong your sailing and use less fuel.

I find solar-powered/electric cats pretty exciting, so much so that I wrote an entire article called The Best Solar-Powered Catamarans on the subject.

The FastCat is an excellent option for anyone who wants a smaller cat with a comfortable design and incredible speed. FastCat’s electric power is also a unique, favorable feature for anyone who wants to use less fuel.

Maximum Speed: 20 knots
Length: 42.7 ft (13 m)
Beam: 24.4 ft (7.4 m)
Draft: 3.9 ft (1.2 m) with boards up
Displacement: 2.4 tonnes

The Lagoon 440 cruising catamaran, like the FastCat, has an electric powering version, which cuts down on fossil fuel usage and ensures that your ship will keep moving. The Lagoon 440 is also among the easiest catamarans to maneuver, thanks to its electric drivetrain and automatic engines.

The speed of the Lagoon 440 usually maxes out at 10 knots with low winds, but with higher winds, it can quickly gain speeds up to 20 knots (some argue even higher, but I’m doubtful). The Lagoon 440 is an excellent cruiser and comfortable catamaran, but it is not an all-out racing cat.

Lagoon is a well-known brand, but there are some caveats, and are Lagoons still making good catamarans?

Below the deck, the living spaces in the Lagoon 440 are magnificent. The ceilings are high, allowing the tallest of passengers to stand in the cabin. The many storage compartments and furnishings have a modern, elegant design. The interior is one large primary cabin with a few private spaces below the deck.

Length: 44.6 ft (13.6 m)
Beam: 25.3 ft (7.7 m)
Draft: 4.3 ft (1.3 m)
Displacement: 10.5 tonnes

Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42

Fountaine Pajot designs some of the most luxurious yet speedy cruising catamarans available in the world. They are renowned for their safe, durable designs that make sailing a comfortable, relaxing experience. And on a personal note, i think the name sounds beautiful!

Their cruising catamarans use an inverted hull design that has become a signature mark of Fountaine Pajot vessels. This hull type allows the water to pass beneath the ship quickly, which increases the speed and fuel efficiency of the cat.

The Astréa 42’s primary benefit is its spacious, comfortable living quarters and large, open deck spaces. The ship’s interior spaces have large windows, large lounging areas, and plenty of storage compartments.

The cabin’s ventilation is also excellent, which reduces the classic musty smells of sea living. You can also get two different models of this catamaran, either in a one-cabin option or a two-cabin option, making it an excellent vessel for larger or smaller families.

The Astréa is ideal for long-term sea living and family vacations (it is not as fast as some more racing-oriented cats). Although the Astréa is not the speediest cat available, with its speed maxing out at about 10+ knots, even in favorable wind conditions, its luxurious atmosphere and comfortable cabin spaces make up for its relatively slow speed.

Don’t get me wrong, despite its lower speed compared to the boats on this list, the Astréa 42 can still get you places quicker than many other cruising catamarans (and most monohulls). So, if you want all of the elegance and comfort of a cat and are not too worried about racing, this ship is an excellent option for you.

Maximum Speed: 10 knots
Length: 41.3 ft (12.6 m)
Beam: 23.6 ft (7.2 m)
Draft: 4.1 ft (1.3 m)
Displacement: 12.3 tonnes

Privilege Signature 510

The Privilege Signature 510 is a long-distance cruising catamaran designed for long-term voyages and sailing in extreme weather conditions. It features a durable, weatherproof design that will protect you from rainy and cold weather while sailing.

The helm and living spaces are completely covered, making it safe to live in, even in cold or stormy weather. It also has an automatic sail adjustment system with the controls at the helm, allowing you to make any adjustments from the helm’s safety and comfort.

Privilege Signature 510 also has an elegant, well-designed living space with plenty of amenities, including an accelerated cooling system, a spacious bathroom and kitchen, and plenty of windows for natural lighting.

With an elegant floor plan, this cozy ship is perfect for long-term living.

The Privilege Signature is not the fastest catamaran on the market, with a maximum speed of around 13 knots. Still, it is one of the quicker cats considering its elaborate amenities and comfortable size.

Maximum Speed: 13 knots
Length: 50 ft (15.24 m)
Beam: 26 ft (7.98 m)
Draft: 5 ft (1.57 m)
Displacement: 25 tonnes

Although cruising catamarans are great boats for slowly cruising along the water, they can also be swift, substantial racing boats that reach speeds of up to 35 knots. These speedy cruising catamarans still come with all of the amenities of leisure boats, but they also reach incredible speeds without rocking or tossing.

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

The British

'a' class catamaran, association.

The official site for the British 'A' Class Catamaran Association. Designed to inform new and existing 'A' Cat sailors about UK 'A' Class trends.

ISAF A CAT rules 2013

Top tips from the European #6 and GBR #1 Classic sailor Hugh Macgregor on how to sail and set up the classic boat and rig.

Hugh is a professional sailor and coach. He has been a multiple Champion across various classes.

I sail a Classic straight board 2009 Tool, with Hammer deck sweeper sail, Saarberg stiff untapered mast, Exploder boom, and Exploder asymmetrical winglet rudders, I am around 100Kg. The A Cat world is very diverse, my settings will not work exactly the same with your setup, but may help you generate a starting point. As I write this I am preparing for the Euros in Garda, and am trying to get my boat and myself as prepared as possible, in order to justify the expense of going. It’s a bucket list, once in a lifetime opportunity to tick off a Garda event.

I have worked hard to optimise my boat, the hull finish is perfect, the foils are damage free, and prepared to 3000 wet and dry, which makes them silent at speed. I have the rudder blades parallel, with no toe in. I have spent time adjusting the rudder rake and mast rake to make my boat want to sail in a straight line when powered up upwind, with no weather helm and light steering. My T foil rudders are set to half a degree of lift, more lift is good upwind, but pushes the bows down too much downwind. The T foils allow you to safely push much harder downwind, it’s a modification I would recommend. I bought a Saarberg stiff mast to suit my weight, and Micky Todd (Hammer sails) made a very nice sail to fit both my mast and my weight. I make extensive use of Micky’s tuning guide, and thank him for his coaching and advice, he showed me what an A Cat can really do. I have a Harken 40mm 9:1 mainsheet system with 8mm swiftcord, and 2 Harken 60mm auto ratchets to help manage the load. Good gloves are a must, the high aspect A Cat rig is all about mainsheet action.

A deck sweeper sail is a must have, it moves the power of the rig lower, where you can use it, making the boat faster and better mannered. A curved boom gives much better control of the foot than a boomless one. I currently sail with about 45mm deflection in my spreaders, and a diamond tension of 26 on the loos gauge, I don’t adjust these unless I change sails. My rake is to halfway between the aft beams and the transom, about six degrees, I find this is where my boat balances the best upwind. I go one shroud hole down (seven degrees) for days I should probably not sail, and one hole up (five degrees) for very very light days, but I mostly keep it in the neutral position. My shroud tension is 12 - 16, if I have more than 14 I cannot get enough mast rotation downwind in light winds, but more makes the boat feel more settled in upper wind bands. I tie my video tape streamers 1.5 meters up from my forestay fittings, and have them long enough to touch the mast upwind. It is worth getting a tuning guide from the sailmaker for the sail you use, to give you a starting point for settings.

Sail setup:

My main calibration when I prepare a sail I have not used before is the downhaul. Firstly, I pull on the downhaul until the sail is at its fullest, ie the most camber in the top half, then put a calibration mark on the mast. This is now my minimum setting, 0%, I pull it to this setting before the start, and never ease beyond this setting until after the finish, even in the lightest winds. I then pull on as much downhaul (and mainsheet) as I dare, until the top half of the sail becomes perfectly flat, then mark the mast/sail again. This gives me a range of 0% to 100% for the downhaul. The downhaul is the main power control you have, it is worth servicing and maintaining your downhaul system to make it as friction free and reliable as possible. If you cannot consistently get enough downhaul, because of lack of range or purchase, or old knackered blocks, you will be slow upwind. If you rip your sail with downhaul, it is a sign you need a better mainsail, not that you used too much downhaul. I have a 24:1 downhaul, as it allows me to adjust it more accurately, and make it easier to ease, with a more flexible mast 12:1 or 18:1 should be adequate.

The outhaul I always have as eased as possible, I try to have it set so 2/3rds of the sail is touching the curved boom when fully powered upwind. If the boat feels a little sticky, I ease it another inch. My calibration on outhaul is so I can always set it to the exact same amount, if it is an inch too tight, I find myself very slow upwind. I never adjust it to the wind strength, for me it’s set and forget. Power at the top of the mast can be useful, or it can just trip you over. Power at the bottom of the rig is always helpful, it is your main engine room.

The batten tension should be only just enough to stop sail creases developing across the batten when sailing. Mark your top batten when you’re happy with the tension, so you can always retie it in the same place, too much top batten tension or too little messes with your head.

Upwind modes:

Note: traveller always on the centreline. Video tape forestay streamer always touching the mast.

Upwind Light winds: before trapezing, approximately 1 - 5 knots wind.

Downhaul - 25%, but maybe up to 50% if very light winds making the rig sticky, or if you have a very full sail, and I usually pull on 50% downhaul for tacking to aid flicking the battens. Mast rotation - pointing to the daggerboard, I use my foot on the mast base to force it to rotate. Fore and aft trim - Sitting up at the main beam, or a little ahead, try and get the bow knuckle in the water. Mainsheet - it is very easy to stall an A cat rig with too much mainsheet tension in these conditions, I try to keep enough twist to avoid stalling, if in doubt let it out.

Upwind Transitioning: from sitting to trapezing, 5 - 8 knots of wind.

This is the hardest mode change to get right, as the apparent wind doubles in this range. Downhaul - 0% when sitting, but immediately up to 25% when you start trapezing. Mast rotation - start bringing it back to halfway between daggerboard case and back beam. Fore and aft trim - I move to behind the shrouds go out on the trapeze, if there is enough wind once on the wire I stay where I can just have the leeward bow knuckle at the water line, but if I am struggling to stay on the wire, I crouch in front of the shrouds, and really immerse the leeward bow, this helps with pointing. Mainsheet trim: In this mode, I try to have no twist in the rig whatsoever. You will find that there is a point when, as you pull in the mainsheet, firstly the twist reduces, then at a certain point, the camber in the upper rig starts to reduce. It is just before the camber starts to reduce that the rig is generating maximum power, ie minimum twist maximum camber, this is where you need it when you first get out on the trapeze.

Upwind: power band, 8 - 13 knots of wind.

This is when nothing that floats can touch an A Cat, it’s a magic carpet ride that makes all other boats look like traffic cones to go around. Downhaul - This is the range where my downhaul never stays the same for long, in 8 knots of wind it is at 25%, in 13 knots of wind it is at 100%. Mast rotation: by 13 knots, it will be pointing at the leeward rudder. I never bring it further in than the leeward rudder, it is worth having a strop on your mast rotation control system to prevent this. Fore and aft trim: aft of the shrouds, keep the bow knuckle just at the waterline, not in, not out. Mainsheet tension - tension the mainsheet for zero twist as a starting point. Most people when they transition into A Cats from other boats have a tendency to pinch into the wind too much in these conditions. If my video tape streamer wants to sit to windward of the mast under full mainsheet tension, I pull on more downhaul to flatten the top half of the rig, to bring the streamer back down to the mast. If my streamer is to leeward of the mast, I have too much twist in the sail, I pull on more mainsheet tension, and maybe ease a little downhaul, to bring it back up to the mast. Once the wind increases to the point where I am constantly easing the mainsheet (ie adding twist) to avoid pinching, I have the downhaul on at maximum 100%. Try to use more mainsheet action and less steering to get through the gusts and lulls, it’s faster. Remember, easing the mainsheet without pulling on downhaul, increases camber therefore power / drag at the top of the rig, where you least want it. If there is enough wind that you are introducing twist into the rig, you need to flatten the top half of the rig first. Downhaul is your primary tool to flatten the top half of the rig.

Upwind, 13 to 22 knots:

Here is where you guys with C boards and T foils can really take off, if you take a step back to get the first meter of boat out of the water, and keep easing the mainsheet to keep the streamer on the mast, you can get the boat into a skimming mode. If it all gets a bit too hectic, try dropping the traveller by a couple of inches, try lifting the daggerboards by 150mm, just to calm it down. If you find you cannot make the top half of the sail flat enough with downhaul in these conditions, you can try getting a stiffer set of top 4 sail battens, or old school would be to turn your top battens around, luff to leech, it all makes the boat a little less twitchy, at the expense of downwind power.

Downwind Modes:

Downwind, Mild thing, 1-5 knots of wind.

Downhaul - 0%. Mast rotation - off, force the mast to 90 degrees, with your foot or an over rotation control. Fore and aft trim - sit forward at main beam, to get the transoms out of the water. Traveller - maximum ease. Daggerboards - if straight boards, both up, if C board, windward one up. These are the most difficult conditions to get a A Cat downwind, it is very easy to stall the rig, and very hard to build speed. I aim to keep the apparent wind between 5 and 10 degrees forward of the beam. Keep the rudder use down to a minimum, keep the tiller extension planted on the deck to reduce movement. Mainsheet: Take the mainsheet directly from the clew for maximum sensitivity. Sheet in and reduce twist very gradually, as you build speed and bear away, but be prepared to head up and ease sheet again if you stall the rig. Twist is useful in these conditions, as it means at least some of the rig will be working at all times, if you have no twist, the rig is either stalled or working, not very helpful in light shifty winds.

Downwind, Transition, 5 - 10 knots.

Downhaul - 0%. Mast rotation off. Fore and aft trim: start moving aft, in these conditions, I am aiming to keep both hulls on their design waterline, bow knuckles and transoms just skimming. Traveller - from just inside of leeward hull to 400 mm inside of the leeward hull. Daggerboards - both up or windward one up. Mainsheet - Sheet for minimum twist maximum camber, I use the mainsail telltales to help me same as upwind use, but always being ready to ease an armful if it stalls. Once the breeze gets closer to 10 knots, the traveller starts to act like an accelerator, allowing you to go faster with very little increase in height.

Downwind, Wild thing, 10-16 knots.

My current rule of thumb, if there is enough wind to trapeze and fly a hull consistently upwind, then there is enough wind to fly a hull downwind.

Downhaul - 0%. Mast rotation - off. Fore and aft trim - just in front of rear beam to just behind rear beam. Traveller - leeward toe strap. Daggerboards - windward one up or both down. Mainsheet: Sheet for minimum twist, maximum camber and get the boat going fast before trying to lift a hull. Once up to speed, a quick little luff should unstick the windward hull before a big bear away and lots of playing the sheet to keep it flying. Prioritise accurate steering and sheeting over moving your weight around. In 10 knots of wind, I try to get my feet under the leeward toe strap before I pop a hull, in more wind, I try to get both feet under the windward strap and my arse wedged on the aft beam before lifting a hull, I like to be locked into the boat before it leans over too far. Bear away and ease sheet in the gusts, head up and sheet in for the lulls, and use mainsheet to smooth out the ride height. If the bow does start going under water, a sharp ease on the sheet will let it pop back up.

I am not agile enough to combine wild thing with trapezing, and I have straight boards so my boat does not generate lift with speed, there are a few modes I am probably missing out here, there are many more qualified sailors than me to explain them.

Downwind, 16 - 22 knots:

Downhaul - 25% - 50%, Mast rotation off, Fore and aft trim - as far aft as you can go. The convention is to point the boat deep downwind, with traveller up to inside of leeward hull. Ease sheet a bit and head up to build speed, and bear away and over sheet to calm it down, reversing the airflow over the mainsail leech to luff when required in the bigger gusts. I very rarely try to fly a hull in these conditions, as on my straight board boat I need all the buoyancy I can get. Another mode you can play with is to drop the traveller right down, ease the sheet, and keep the apparent wind on the beam, with the sail luffing slightly, and 50% downhaul. It has the advantage that you can always sheet in for more power and ease for less, it can help you make a leeward mark layline when you’ve misjudged your last gybe, and end up coming in a little hot. Whatever happens, the further back you can get your bum, the harder you can push it downwind without sticking the leeward bow in. If you do stick a bow in, you have a good chance of saving a capsize if you are properly wedged in to the aft beam and toe straps, if your bum slides forward, it’s swim time. Capsizing is slow.

Finally, maintenance - keep your boat in good condition. A minor breakage can often snowball on the water, a broken trapeze line or tiller extension joint can lead to much greater damage, a planned maintenance schedule can be useful, 2 years for a UJ, 2 years for trapeze strings, 3 years for shrouds, forestay, and their shackles, 5 years for downhaul equipment etc. Carefully check all your shackles, split rings, rudder fastenings etc after a big day.

Most damage to A Cats happens in the dinghy park, the mast can flap like a sail during a gale, and damage your boat, and push up the insurance premiums for all of us. To avoid damage, tie your mast spanner to the toe straps so the mast cannot rotate. Use your tiller extension to pass a line around your mast above the spreaders, and tie it down to the aft corner, this kills any resonance vibration that can damage the rig. Most importantly, tie your trapeze strings down tightly to hard points either side of your boat level with the main beam. Don’t leave your mast up in winter. Finally, tie down your neighboring boats, so they don’t blow onto your boat.

The best way to learn, and to optimise your boat and sailing style, is to come to A Cat events, it’s a friendly class, everyone will help you get up to speed as much as they can. A Cat’s are pretty bad handicap boats, but in class racing they offer some of the most intense and rewarding racing in the sailing world, accessible to all ages and for a wide weight range, there is not a better place to be on the water.

Tuning Your DNA

A set up guide can be found at http://www.racingcats.com/tuning_support/setting-up.php

Some figures for the set-up:

Toospore rudders 2-3 mm (measure rudders fore and aft at transom level)(always check after reception of the boat).

Rudder raked under the boat: no more than 15 mm (factory settings can be slightly more)

Toe-in daggerboards 3-5 mm (difference fore aft daggerboards) (= standard factory settings)

Daggerboard J or C board slider: 1 cm space to the back end (standard setting) for more lift move daggerboard more aft, for less lift move daggerboard forward. Just untighten the screws lightly and use the board as a lever to change the position of the slider

Mastrake: just behind the hatch in light winds, on the transom in medium winds, halfway the transom in stronger winds. (Procedure; keep trapezeline on the deck at the fore stay and see where it touches the hull aft). If you adjust mastrake you might have to adjust sheetlength too.

Polish daggerboards and rudders with grid 600 and then 1000 or 1200. Especially the finish of the daggerboard has a huge impact on the performance. New boards are not polished yet.

Upwind: traveller always in the middle, reduce mastrotation when the wind picks up.

Downwind: Traveller on hiking strap when doing the wild thing, mast rotation 80-90 degrees

Do not oversheet while doing the wildthing

Keep daggerboards down will doing the wildthing, pull the weather daggerboard up in marginal wildthing conditions. In the mild thing or while going flat pull both daggerboards halfway up.

In strong winds put the boards up 10 cm.

Position yourself between the side stay and the daggerboard case when you are going upwind. Only step back when the boat is on full speed. Hike before the sidestay in light conditions (see pics Stevie at the Worlds in Cesenatico). Many sailors stand to far back when going upwind especially just after a tack. (Keep fat bottom out of the water)

Use surf wax on the trampoline to enhance grip in tacks and gybes.

Use toestraps if you want to trapeze downwind. You do not need these in the lighter circumstances but if the wind picks up your will suffer from less fatigue.

If you can trapeze downwind some cunningham may result in higher endspeeds and more control.

If you cannot keep the bow up downwind come out of the trapeze, release the traveller a bit and steer for depth. Less mast rotation may improve control but hurts speed as well if wind is not stable.

Ask your sailmaker for the right amount of spreaderrake and the right amount of diamond tension. Use a loose gauge to measure the tension.

If you go from the windward mark to the offset mark do not step back and keep yourself positioned at the daggerboard case to prevent aggressive bow ups.

If you sail a long distance race reduce the amount of lift by moving the slider .6 cms forward.

Put your daggerboards in the trampoline bag before going ashore, else a board may wash off the boat and may sink.

Do not make jumps on purpose with the boat while reaching This might damage the boards.

Maintenance:

Keep your hulls clean. Wash the boat with water after sailing on saltwater. Transport it either in a box or use lycra covers.

Teflon wax sealer can be applied on both the hulls and daggerboards for less friction.

Put water on your daggerboards before you put these in daggerboard cases. Do not hang a daggerboard in the water if you are already sailing as it can be swept out of your hands.

Keep the screws on the pushrods of the rudders tight else the pushrod pin might rotate.

Check the knot in the daggerboard rope regularly as the daggerboards might sink if it comes loose.

Drill a 2 mm in the hatch covers to let air out in case of heating by the sun.

Do not drill holes in the beams as the beams are watertight and part of the positive safety buoyancy.

Do not use aceton on the paint to remove glue or stickers but use spiritus/alcohol instead.

Clean travellercar with clean water.

Check trapeze ropes regularly

Mast Setup - Landenberger

Over the past few seasons it has become quite clear that many people who have been experiencing speed or power problems have had little basic knowledge of what they can do with the mast settings. It is clear what do with the cunningham, simply pull on it to get the pressure out of the sail as you need, but often the mast is left unattended to, as a last priority. In fact it is one of the most important speed controls on the boat. It is important to understand how to use it, and what you want to have in the sail shape for different conditions. It is not so easy to just come up with numbers and angles that will suit every mast and sail so I will try to make some key points to help understand this correctly.

The more pre bend set in the mast the more effect mast rotation has on the sail shape.

The effect of the spreaders means that the more the mast is rotated backwards, the more the lower mast section can bend forward (in the direction of the boat) and the stiffer the top section becomes. Leaving the cunningham tension out of the discussion at the moment, the result would be that the sail becomes flatter in the bottom and fuller in the top.

Rotating the mast more forward allows the spreader to start to work and the lower mast section becomes stiffer in the forward direction and the top becomes softer backwards. The result is the sail will become deeper in the bottom and flatter in the top.

Cunningham pressure flattens the sail and will tend to flatten the top more than the bottom since the top of the mast is unsupported and more free to bend. Understanding the sail shape that works best in the differing conditions is then very important. For example in Flat water you would like to have a very even profile through the sail from top to bottom with good power in the top and the possibility to pull the mainsheet quite hard without stalling the back of the sail. On flat water you can sheet hard and point higher. By wave conditions you would want good power down low in the sail and have the top more open and twisted. This gives you power and the twisted top allows the boat to accelerate easily letting you steer around more and power the boat through the waves easier. Generally you can’t point as high as the boat on flat water but because of the waves you can achieve a much better VMG (velocity made good).

The typical example is that with increasing wind the sailor will pull the Cunningham hard but not adjust the mast rotation to go with it. The effect of the Cunningham is flattening the sail, but more in the top. This allows the leech to open. The boat may feel ok but often the leech is to open and you can’t point high enough. This setup can be good in big waves but on flat water the sailor would like to have the leech standing much straighter so they should rotate the mast further back. If you go back to our original points you can see that the mast becomes stiffer in the top and can bend more in the bottom. This is therefore powering up the top and flattening the bottom of the sail. With the Cunningham pressure you can sheet on hard and point high with good speed.

The other typical mistake which occurs, is that the sailor by strong wind, simply pulls the mast back in line with the boom and pulls full Cunningham pressure. Because the mast rotation is too far back the sail becomes too full in the top and too open in the bottom. The sail will have a lot of twist which some sailors think is good for strong wind, but because of the top of the mast reaching its maximum stiffness in the aft direction of the boat the sail will remain too full in the top. The end result is a sail which is twisted to far and with too much profile for the strong wind. The twist causes you to loose pointing ability and the depth is causing excessive drag, just slowing you down. You are in effect going slower and lower than the correctly trimmed boats.

Spreader rake is also another significant factor in setting up you rig. It also plays a part in how much the rotation angle affects the depth of the sail. That can be a whole subject of its own, so for now I make just a few comments. Try to think of pre-bend as controlling the position the mast takes its bend. The more pre-bend you make in the mast the lower the mast likes to bend. The lower the mast tries to bend the straighter the top section becomes. The flatter the pre-bend the more the top section tries to bend. The normal reaction of sailors is to increase the pre-bend for strong wind to flatten the sail and reduce it in light wind to increase power.

Principally that is correct, but it must be incorporated with the rotation to get the right balance in the sail. Like most things, too much or too little can be harmful. It is a great failure made by many sailors to flatten the spreader angle to far reducing the pre-bend in the mast to almost straight. For light wind this is doing more harm than good. The heavier sailors also often request more luff curve because they are looking for power.

With more luff curve and flatter spreaders light wind speed can quickly come to an end. The sail will become very full down low with a deep entry angle from the mast and a very closed leech section. When you get the first wind in the sail you may get a feeling of power, but you may also experience the boat just wanting to fly a hull but not wanting to go easily forward. The boat will not point and will not accelerate.

In many cases it is actually better to go the other way. By very light wind you can increase the pre-bend to open the lower part of the sail and reduce the entry angle of the sail behind the mast. With the rotation angle set correctly to get the head standing up just the right amount you can be very fast. Just remember flat is fast and deep is slow. It has a lot more to do with entry and exit angles of the sail to achieve height and power.

Amongst sail makers there are many different ideas, and history has proven that there are many ways to build fast sails. The most important thing is that the sailor can understand how the sail should work and manage it well. Also restrictions on materials and designs in the boats themselves change the way the sail has to work to achieve the best results. We design our A class sails to allow the mast to be rotated well back. The reason being, that the mast itself creates a lot of profile over the rig and therefore it is very important to be able to reduce the wind age over the mast by rotating back as the wind increases. At the same time the sail must flatten rather than get fuller. That is the secret to success.

Good sailing.

Here are a variety of articals about setting up and techniques. Not all will be aplicable to your particular boat, but information is power!

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Bering Yachts introduces new 24m catamaran model BC80 with two configurations

Turkish shipyard Bering Yachts has announced a new 24-metre catamaran model known as BC80 at this year's Cannes Yachting Festival.

The yacht is the largest in its class at 24 metres and is joined by the 18.9-metre BC60 and the BC70, which measures 21.3 metres. Owners can choose between two layouts: the flybridge version and the solar-powered version.

The first has been billed as a "more classic yachting experience", featuring an expansive 82-square-metre flybridge and 1,000 square feet of solar panels which can generate over 20kW of energy on a sunny day. The yacht can then remain at anchor for extended periods without relying on generators.

Meanwhile, the solar-powered version is suited to "the environmentally conscious adventurer", with a massive solar panel array, high-capacity lithium-ion battery bank and a state-of-the-art "kick-saving" system. This system significantly reduces generator dependence and allows guests to enjoy silent cruising for up to 24 hours without running the generators.

The BC80's impressive interior volume is aided by an expansive 10.8-metre beam, giving guests the "ultimate three-decker experience" with a spacious main deck with 2.4 metres of headroom, a dedicated upper deck with flybridge option, and a comfortable lower deck. In terms of accommodation, owners can choose between four, five or six cabins with the option of a master suite on the main deck.

The standard layout features a galley positioned forward on the main deck, while all guest accommodations are located in the sponsons (hull extensions) for extra privacy and reduced noise.

This follows the news that the steel hull of its 39.5-metre B125 model had been transported from Istanbul to Antalya ahead of outfitting . Delivery is anticipated for September 2024.

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COMMENTS

International A-class catamaran
The official organisation for the A-Class catamaran is the IACA (International A division Catamarans Association). The A-Class rules were expanded over time to prevent the cost of these boats from rising too high and to ensure fairness in racing. Currently the main A-Class rules are: [3] Min overall boat weight : 75 kg / 165.3 lbs.
A CLASS CATAMARAN
Hull Speed: The maximum speed of a displacement hull (referring to a hull that travels through the water rather than on top of it, e.g. planing). HS = 1.34 x √LWL (in feet) Pounds per Inch Immersion: The weight required to sink the yacht one inch. Calculated by multiplying the LWL area by 5.333 for sea water or 5.2 for fresh water.
One-Design Class Profile: A-Cat
The International A-Class Catamaran (A-Cat) is an ISAF international development class. It has a length of 18', a 7.5' beam, a minimum weight of 165lbs, and 20 square meters of sail (Peter Johnstone). Power-wise, the A-Cat is among the leaders for its size. Upwind comfortably at well over 10 knots and downwind over 20 (knots), the A-Cat is ...
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The 'A' Class Catamaran - Its place at the top table. At 18ft long with a total allowed rig area of 150ft2, but weighing in at a mere 75kg, the 'A' Class is very much a Formula One car in catamaran form and in the last few years, developments have seen this class take off more than ever before, quite literally. ... There are several ...
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Top light sailors can start foiling downwind around 8 knots, but most of the foiling fleet foils closer with 10 knots of wind 100% air time. Most sailing catamarans cruise at speeds of 9-14 knots. For more information on the A-Class catamaran, consult the eXploder A-Class cats, which have been in production since 2013.
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The A-Class Catamaran (A-CAT)
History. The A Class Catamaran is the fastest single handed small catamaran in the world. It is highly responsive lightweight and the powerful rig means that even the heaviest sailors are on the trapeze upwind in 6 knots of breeze and flying a hull downwind. Top sailors can even trapeze downwind, making the boat even faster and more exciting.
A Class Catamaran
A-Cats, F18s, F20s, Shearwaters, Catapults and a lone F15, an F16 and a Dart 15 make up the fleet. Posted on 20 May A-Class Cat North American Championships overall. Racing wrapped up on Saturday with a total of 7 races being sailed. Posted on 17 Apr A-Class Cat North American Championships update.
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5. Performance: The A Class Catamaran is known for its exceptional performance on the water. It can reach speeds of over 20 knots (37 kilometers per hour) in ideal conditions, making it one of the fastest single-handed sailing boats. 6. Racing: The A Class Catamaran is primarily used for racing, and it has a strong international racing circuit.
A Class Catamaran
A Class Catamaran is a 18′ 0″ / 5.5 m catamaran sailboat starting in 1962. Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. ... Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio.311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL 15.93 knots. Classic formula: 5.69 knots. Sail Area/Displacement 79.7
A-Cat
The International A-Class Catamaran (A-Cat) is an ISAF international development class. It has a length of 18', a 7.5' beam, a minimum weight of 165lbs, and 20 square meters of sail (Peter Johnstone). Power-wise, the A-Cat is among the leaders for its size. Upwind comfortably at well over 10 knots and downwind over 20 (knots), the A-Cat is ...
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A Class Sailing. The A Class Catamaran is the fastest single handed small catamaran in the world. This highly responsive lightweight boat is a joy to sail. The powerful rig means that even the heaviest sailors are on the trapeze upwind in 6 knots of breeze and flying a hull downwind (wild thing). The top sailors in the class have now mastered ...
PDF World Sailing International A Class Catamaran-Measurers' Guide
Hull Measurement. This form comprises all the measurements related to the hull and its appendages: length, width, maximum appendage width, minimum appendage width from boat centerline and maximum distance of rudder assembly from hull stern. All boats constructed after 1/1/2010 must have an ISAF/ World Sailing plaque affixed to one of the ...
What is the current speed record for a class catamaran?
A Class Catamaran Speed Record? August 5, 2024. Add comment. Debbie Green. 13 min read. Updated: August 5, 2024. Table of Contents: ... What is the top speed of a sport catamaran? What is the fastest recorded speed of a sailboat? What is the fastest point of sail on a catamaran? Which is faster catamaran or trimaran? What is the fastest a boat ...
F1x A-class foiling catamaran
Unique design enables top performances. The F1x A-class foiling catamaran is the ultimate reflection of our current design language. The aerodynamic design accentuates the performance qualities of this super fast foiling racing boat. The sophisticated deck plan provides clear control and minimal air resistance. The rudders and daggerboard foils ...
A-Class: 'MayFly': Technical paper by Fischer and 1st sailing test
An A-Class catamaran achieves a boat speed of 5 knots in about 3 to 4 knots true wind speed (TWS). Thus according to the results shown above our new hull shape should be very competitive from 3 to 4 knots TWS onwards. As most of the current A-Class designs the Mayfly is equipped with curved daggerboards. But in contrast to most other designs ...
How Fast Do Catamarans Go?
Daniel Wade. ‍ Catamarans are known for their speed, and some vessels are fast enough to break world sailing speed records. Catamarans can go between 15 and 30 knots, with the fastest achieving speeds well in excess of 60 knots. Sailing catamarans are sometimes twice as fast as monohulls and cut through the water with greater efficiency.
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2) Cruising Catamarans. Another type of sailing catamaran is a cruising catamaran. These often come with complete living accommodations, so they sacrifice speed over their sportier counterparts. They can average between 9 and 10 knots, depending on the conditions. The top speed is typically around 15 knots.
A-Class Cat
The A- Class Catamaran (A Cat) offers incredible speed, amazing responsiveness and is totally addictive. The A-Class catamaran is a single handed open development class. Both foiling and non-foiling boats are included in class. Carbon hulls 18' long - 7'6" wide and a 30' carbon mast. Fully Battened Sail with sail area of 150 sq.
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On average, cruising catamarans can reach top speeds of 15 knots, around 17.3 mph (27.84 kph). ... When you consider a catamaran's speed, you will need to keep in mind the boat's weight and narrowness. A vessel that can travel at 15 knots will still move slower if the boat is heavy or has a wide, extensive hull. ...
TECH TIPS
The official site for the British 'A' Class Catamaran Association. ... Partner. ISAF A CAT rules 2013. TECHNICAL. Top tips from the European #6 and GBR #1 Classic sailor Hugh Macgregor on how to sail and set up the classic boat and rig. ... The best way to learn, and to optimise your boat and sailing style, is to come to A Cat events, it's a ...
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Fantastic A-Class catamaran foiling day to do a training race on the virtual sailspeedmaster track. Due to this course and west-wind direction most foiling i...
Sailing
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Bering Yachts introduces new 24m catamaran model BC80 with two
Turkish shipyard Bering Yachts has announced a new 24-metre catamaran model known as BC80 at this year's Cannes Yachting Festival. The yacht is the largest in its class at 24 metres and is joined by the 18.9-metre BC60 and the BC70, which measures 21.3 metres. Owners can choose between two layouts: the flybridge version and the solar-powered ...

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