Bieker 53 - Exciting high performance cruiser

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, the decision may not be "fair", but I'm still grateful for the insight to the race organizer's thought processes.

In the long run, one must try to remember that the organizers own the races, as it were, and they have no requirement to be fair to anyone.

One can only hope that as time goes on, more venues will open up to multihull racers. I suspect that if participation and interest from sponsors should fall off, organizers would become a bit more malleable in their thinking.

Jim

More venues? I would say that in what regards major races they are only excluded from the Sydney-Hobart.

[clockwork orange]

I believe multies have now been allowed in the Bermuda race, they have owned the various transatlantic races for decades. The biggest race in New Zealand is actually run by the multihull association but they wisely allow monohull entries.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, the decision may not be "fair", but I'm still grateful for the insight to the race organizer's thought processes.

In the long run, one must try to remember that the organizers own the races, as it were, and they have no requirement to be fair to anyone.

One can only hope that as time goes on, more venues will open up to multihull racers. I suspect that if participation and interest from sponsors should fall off, organizers would become a bit more malleable in their thinking.

Jim

Malleable? Motorised monohulls are OK, right? It's obviously not about malleability, it's simply prejudice.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

The biggest race in New Zealand is actually run by the multihull association but they wisely allow monohull entries.

They shouldn't. I'm sure they could dream up an excuse. Something like the monos being so slow there could be collisions with huge speed differentials.... that should be insulting enough...

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

They shouldn't. I'm sure they could dream up an excuse. Something like the monos being so slow there could be collisions with huge speed differentials.... that should be insulting enough...

That's kinda self defeating.. if cats are that quick then once the guns fired there should be nothing slow left to hit.. bar sailing in the wrong direction.. and that's hardly a mono's fault.

[Boatguy30]

They actually set a LOA of 58' for Bermuda to specifically exclude this boat that generally always beats the Gunboats.

A mulithull limit needs to be a righting moment to sail area calculation of some sort. Ironically the Storm Trysail Club does able a stability index factor to the monohull eligibility and many proven offshore monos under 40' don't meet the criteria

[Polux]

I don't see why the limit should be different than for monohulls: if it is RCD approved as category A than it may race. If it is not certified there are some inclination tests to substitute that certification, not very different in what regards demands.

A performance cruising cat with 42ft or even smaller can pass those tests. It is ridiculous not to allow a 50ft performance cruising cat to race.

Pure racing machines it is another story they are even lighter and in what regards profissional offshore racing the smaller class is now 50ft (trimarans). Years ago they tried a 40ft class but they found out that was too extreme.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

They shouldn't. I'm sure they could dream up an excuse. Something like the monos being so slow there could be collisions with huge speed differentials.... that should be insulting enough...

If you look at the fastnet results and take out of the equation racing machines (trimarans) and consider performance cruisers you will see that some years the cats are faster others, same sized monohull performance cruisers are faster. It depends on the sea and wind conditions.

But one thing is for sure, it seems cat owners don't like to race because even if the race is open to all kind of cats very few race. Never saw a Catana or an Outremer racing there and there are plenty of them in Europe.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by rabbi

Just watching this video it struck me:

Bridgedeck slamming becomes a no-issue once you start flying a hull!!





For my taste a bit too radical for relaxed cruising. Seems to be a handful work but must be fun!

Agreed, this is a “cruising” catamaran in the same way Gunboats are cruising. With a full racing crew perhaps could cruise but not a couple on their own.

Low bridgedeck is very visible and that centre pod is almost at water level. What happens to access to the hulls when the wave piercing (it seems that’s what they are) bows go through a swell and a wall of green water washes along both sides of the centre cabin?

Where do you put your dinghy? How about a Bimini for some shade and a table with seating to place the dip for the chips you want to eat?

Other than fashion, is there a reason for reverse bows?

Please note, I like the look of her as a fully crewed performance cruiser/racer in the same market as Gunboat. The performance is race-boat like, awesome fun. But I don’t think you could cruise her short handed.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by boatman61

That's kinda self defeating.. if cats are that quick then once the guns fired there should be nothing slow left to hit.. bar sailing in the wrong direction.. and that's hardly a mono's fault.

It doesn't have to be a genuine reason, there's no genuine reason for excluding multi's from the Sydney to Hobart.

It should just be insulting.

[Factor]

Just a note to those that wish to believe that this boat is a Cruising boat that races rather than a racing boat that cruises. On a leg just prior to the capsize their top speed was 31 knots

[Polux]

I was trying to look at the performance of cruising performance cats on the Caribbean 600 versus the performance of cruising monohull and found out that this time there was a considerable number of performance cruising cats racing: 8.

Only one, a Gunboat 62 was able to finish the race. Anybody know what happen to the others? I tried to find out but except the one that capsized I could not find information.

The racing trimarans had done rather well finishing the race and Paradox managed to beat Rambler even if not for much.

The monohulls had a retirement rate of 50% but there was lots of charter boats among the monohulls..

The weather was on the strong side but not anything really bad.

[44'cruisingcat]

I did read about some problems boats had, one seems to have withdrawn due to electrical problems, a Dazcat had a pin partially pull out of the forestay thimble.

I do know that "Morticia", a fairly small racing tri that frequently resides on a trailer at Airlie beach, did finish the race.

[Boatguy30]

I think it was quite strong winds for what people were expecting. Check the online video of the 30' tri with Aussie skipper that finished

[44'cruisingcat]

Just read that "Morticia" was the smallest boat to finish the race.