Why Don't Cats Race?

[RubyBishop]

Please - I don’t want a debate mono vs multi. [For my purpose, needs and wants a Cat is the way to go], but . . .

The question I have is why don’t Cats [or any multihull] participate in 'open' [blue water] races. We have just had the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race which is one of a number of big blue water races that is open to various classes, expect it would seem multihulls. Why?

[creakyboy]

Syd to Hob is monos only

[jdoe71]

Our two cats race frequently. I expect that as they age, they will do less of this. The bigger white one is faster, the black one is sneakier. The dog can outrun both of them, but can't turn and stop as quickly. Makes for interesting races.

I suggest that is better as the topic of this thread because I can sense where this one is going to go.

[cal40john]

First it started out that traditionalists refused to have nasty unsafe abominations that didn't look like proper yachts beat them by wide margins so they banned them. This first happened in modern times in 1877 when Nathanial Herreshoff designed a cat and entered a race.

History section:
Catamaran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

After much complaining, and after multihulls became popular some clubs are allowing multihulls in their races. They typically race in their own classes as handicapping doesn't work. Not surprising as handicapping doesn't work even between sport boats and traditional boats.

There are several multihull clubs and they run their own races for multihulls. There are just not as many and not as well advertised as certain races with long histories.

http://www.sitesalive.com/ocl/public...emesailing.pdf

John (Yeah, OK I went just where people thought this was going )

[RubyBishop]

Thanks creakyboy, I know that – the question is why ?
I am not trying to be smart or start some religious argument. I truly am curious as to why in an ‘open’ class race, it is restricted to monos.
There are some boats designed and built to take line honours that they have even changed the rules for. Then there are various categories, which produce handicap winners.
. . . So why don’t they allow a multihull category.

[Joli]

God forgive me, I can't resist, one word, UPWIND.

OK, sorry, I'll go away.

[idpnd]

Because "we" were first, and "you" are often faster

[imagine2frolic]

Originally Posted by Joli

God forgive me, I can't resist, one word, UPWIND.

OK, sorry, I'll go away.

Oh no please don't go away. Sooner, or later this thread will need your humor......i2f

[RubyBishop]

Thanks John, so in other words there is no real reason. I thought it have been safety or something along those lines – it’s commonly reported Cats do not do well in the lower latitudes.

I come from smaller boats where it was common to have a mix bag of monos and multies racing togethers. My old club had a large cat membership, about 25% of the fleet being Cats. We all raced together with staggered start times for the various categories. I have always been curious as to why multies don’t participate in the big open races

[Fishman_Tx]

Originally Posted by idpnd

Because "we" were first, and "you" are often faster

"Class" envy? hehe..

[imagine2frolic]

Most cats aren't built for the Southern Ocean. They are built to be cruising boats in the tradewinds. Then again the multis do own most records that pass through the Southern Ocean. Possibly all of the records?.......i2f

[creakyboy]

Originally Posted by RubyBishop

Thanks creakyboy, I know that – the question is why ?
I am not trying to be smart or start some religious argument. I truly am curious as to why in an ‘open’ class race, it is restricted to monos.
There are some boats designed and built to take line honours that they have even changed the rules for. Then there are various categories, which produce handicap winners.
. . . So why don’t they allow a multihull category.

Sorry,from your thread title i thought You were asking why cats didn't race,not why are they not allowed(in Syd/Hob)

No idea why there is no class for em.

Do a bit of a search there was a bit of this covered in another thread but I can't recall which thread,it had something to do with Bullfrog/Verbatim shadowing the fleet one year I think.

Hopefully someone will chime in with some info re:Bris to Gladstone,don't really follow racing much

[Factor]

Originally Posted by RubyBishop

Thanks John, so in other words there is no real reason. I thought it have been safety or something along those lines – it’s commonly reported Cats do not do well in the lower latitudes.

Dunno who by, seems to me all the fastest boats around the world are multis, crewed and single handed. Seems to me they all go south of the capes.

I specifically wrote to the CYCA (the race organiser) to ask the question. Got absolutely no response.

There is no valid reason why they shouldn't sail the Hobart. Suggestions that racing multis cant go upwind are simply and demonstrably wrong. One day a french crowd might bring a big tri out and hand the motor sailers their posterior. (The motor sailors is a reference to the fact that all the big maxis have to run their engine all the way to Hobart - no engine no keel control - hardly a sail boat race when that happens.)

[paradix]

Originally Posted by creakyboy

Sorry,from your thread title i thought You were asking why cats didn't race,not why are they not allowed(in Syd/Hob)

No idea why there is no class for em.

Do a bit of a search there was a bit of this covered in another thread but I can't recall which thread,it had something to do with Bullfrog/Verbatim shadowing the fleet one year I think.

Hopefully someone will chime in with some info re:Bris to Gladstone,don't really follow racing much

Sigh...

Sydney-Hobart won by multihull!! - Boat Design Forums

[Factor]

Look its their race - they can do what they like, two things give me the irrits though:

1. The motorsailor thing
2. When they claim that the boats are "the feastest in the world" - they aint even the fastest in the state.