Best trailerable catamaran

I'm crossing over and exploring sailing catamarans and would like to know the following:

1. What are some of the best designs (besides Hobie)???

2. What is the fastest trailerable cat? Perfer something in the 16 to 18ft range, but will go a bit larger.

Thanx

Joseph

 

Tornado.
Faster, more stable, lots of bouyancy fwd (fewer concerns for pitchpoling), no concerns for pitchpoling backwards.

Cons - lightly built, originally costly (I would be recommending an older - 2 sail model), 10' wide causes difficulties in trailering which become important after you do it a couple of times.

On the other hand, I was narrowing one to 8.5' for legal flat trailering. As a dealer said - some of the modern boats are exactly the same - you just have to get careful at a little lower wind speed. I previously just took off the jib at high winds (30-40 kts) and had a blast. It was a little silly to be out in that wind - but a great deal of fun.

The other boat I liked but never owned was the Nacra line.

Marc

 

1]
F18s [Nacra, hobie, AHPC, Phantom, Cirrus]
Best is probably he new Nacra 17

2]
Nacra F20c [But needs a tilt trailer]

 

Flying Phantom

Might check out the Flying Phantom from Sail Innovation. It's based on F18 hulls but is lighter and wider-10' beam like a Tornado. Takes a tilt trailer. Uses hydrofoils and may be the fastest sailboat under 20'-see here:
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/multihulls/flying-phantom-f-18-catamaran-43898.html

 

Thanks for the great info guys. After further reading it seems set-up time on the boat ramp/beach is also a big fuss with some of the sailors. If I were to add "quick set-up time" to the list of big desires, are there any boats that fit that criteria? 30 minutes or less seems like a good benchmark.

Cheers,

Joseph

 

Flying Phantom

I'd say the Phantom would set up fairly quickly-a good tilt trailer takes no time at all and the foils are retractable and left in-or easy to insert-like normal daggerboards. The beauty of the Phantom and other cat foilers to come is that they can be sailed off a non-surf beach like any other cat using a standard dolly. Sailing off a surf beach may or may not be possible-you could ask them.
This thing is not like a Moth where you have to wade out chest deep....

 

Thanks Doug, I do like the Phantom a lot. Great looking boat and the foils are a plus. These boats look like you can get a good workout too, which is good for me.

 

fast cats

Joseph, the NACRA f20c being used by the HYDROS team is extraordinarily fast-I think they quote 32 knots(see the LAC 2013 thread page 3-I think- for a fantastic video). It might be worth contacting NACRA in the states and see if they plan on making it available. There will be other smaller singlehanders before long using the same three foil AC system the Phantom and Nacra use.
The A Class is using foils but they are limited by the rules to be much less effective than the Phantom and Nacra.
Good luck and I'd like to know what boat you finally get....

 

can't beat Hobie if cost is at all a factor.

10 cents a ton all day long around these parts.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/boa/3925561308.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/boa/3926594975.html

and parts can be had for free!

I'd say you could be both of those and more for same price as your first maintenance/upgrade expense on any non-Hobie were you need to BUY anything.

we just had an ad where some truck sideswiped THREE parked hobies so 95% of the boats were up for grabs for FREE!

 

Doug & Squidly, thanks for the additional advice. Nacra & Hobie both have a nice line-up of boats. Lots to be found in the classifieds. I love building boats too and considered building a sailing canoe and even a cat, but these boats are available enough and as you point out spare parts are plentiful. Thanks for all your suggestions! Cheers - Joseph

 

JosephT;

Your request is a little too broad to provide really targeted advice. Contenders for fast trailerable catamaran can range from free to $35,000 or a lot more. It's like asking about fast sports cars (dirt cheap to $500,000 or more).

Beyond the price range problem, you should be prepared to consider an honest assessment of your own abilities and stage of development as a cat sailor. The high end boats mentioned here not only are fast, they can cause you to lose control and even get hurt pretty bad.

Like any sport, there is a learning curve and buying way more boat than you can handle is a recipe for not liking the activity at all. There is no fun in capsizing, breaking expensive carbon parts and being the butt of dockside teasing by the "experts".

If I was giving you advice, I'd recommend buying a used popular, cheap(er) catamaran that give you a safe path to learn and figure out how much you like sailing them. If you do like it, you can probably re-sell the boat at no loss and then move on to something faster, more thrilling and more expensive. If you don't like, again you haven't got a $25,000 boat to move. A Hobie 16 or 18 is probably the cheapest, most re-sellable learning platform out there. Spend some time in a used Corvette before your drop the cheque for a Ferrari or Maclaren. You'll be glad did.

--
CutOnce

 

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I'm sorry but that is absolute hogwash-show me one incident where someone got hurt on the Flying Phantom or the F20c Hydros foiler. Loss of control (such as a pitchpole) is much less likely on a hydrofoil equipped boat because of improved pitch control compared to a "normal" cat w/o rudder foils. It is well known how you feel about high tech and new anything but it is NOT acceptable to go around making up such serious charges against two of the finest new examples of cat sailing tech.

 

Wow. This really isn't worth a response from an adult.

Searching Google for "Hurt Catamaran Pitchpole" results in 11,000+ results. "Catamaran Pitchpole Broken" results in 14,600+ results. 'Catamaran pitchpole "broken leg"' results in 960. 'Catamaran pitchpole "broken arm"' results in 415. A quick scan of the results offers lots of Youtube evidence. Crashing anything at 20+ knots isn't a kiddie ride at the country fair.

I've personally pitchpoled on cats - while on the wire - and been tossed into the forestay with cuts and bruises. Anyone who has actually sailed on a high performance cat in more than 15 knots breeze has stories to tell. I'm speaking from first hand experience here.

I did NOT make "serious charges" against anything - someone is making up stories again. I mentioned no boats specifically by name. Perhaps people should re-read my post to see where I commented on hydrofoil-equipped cats - I can't see it anywhere. How about skipping the whiny childish personal attacks? Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

--
CutOnce

 

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Hobie cats are far more likely to pitchpole that the cats you specifically referenced("The high end boats mentioned here"). I sailed a Hobie 16 for a few months and pitchpoled on the wire a couple of times-no injury(just luck) . A friend wasn't so lucky when she went right into the shrouds.
The modern high end cats with rudder foils have no where near the propensity to pitch pole of older cats-particularly Hobie 16's.

 

Great bit of advice.