Fusion 40 Catamarans

[ireaney]

Originally Posted by catty

The hype for the fusion performance originates from the Fusion 40 derivant "shellac". Hardly a standard Fusion with owner built boards replacing the standard mini keels and an enlarged rig etc. The owner of Blonde Moments is a fine racing sailor from a one design background (which quickly outs the pretenders). Was the boat in performance trim and sailed hard, or is the cat a dog? Looking at its big fat sterns and aft rocker you've got to wonder about its potential.

Geeze 44c drawing comparisons between speed and $ spent for a cruising boat says what? , we should all be sailing hobie 16's which will be faster than both around a course.

Regards

So what are you trying to say exactly.

Looking at sail square footage, weight and that the length of hulls over the width at water line, the ratio is 1:13.1, this should undoubtedly thrash the pants off any production multihull in it's same size or up to 15% plus bigger, as most are around 1:8 ratio, 20% heavier and a more conservative rig.
Admittedly if you over built the interior using solid wood then your standard displacement would increase and affect it's performance and reduce the additional payload potential, but we all know this is unecessary as the interior can be built using lightweaight composites with quality wood veneers.
I think if you want a good spacious cruiser with much better performance than 99% of production built cats (excepting maybe Outremer and the Fastcat) and the option to personalise the interior build this cat is almost perfect for it's size.
If you look at the sterns closely they are not as fat as you think at waterline level (ie the wide step to assist in embarking is above the waterline) and the actual shape will assist in reducing any increased pitching/hobby horsing, this coupled with excellent forward buoyancy will make it a good safe boat.

[Factor]

Hi ireaney - catty is the new joli - ignore him and he just might go away

[ireaney]

Thanks Factor, thoiught he might be a bit of a Joli.
Maybe Catty (and if a dog Bitchy) should have a look at the following link and where the fusion stands against the others - very interesting I think.
Cruising World - Cats By The Numbers

[GordMay]

Let’s not get personal:
Let's try to keep the discussion focused on the issues, rather than on individuals.

There’s an important difference between using strong language to refute someone's arguments, and making statements that malign someone's character or cast aspersions upon their motives.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by ireaney

Thanks Factor, thoiught he might be a bit of a Joli.
Maybe Catty (and if a dog Bitchy) should have a look at the following link and where the fusion stands against the others - very interesting I think.
Cruising World - Cats By The Numbers

ireany, I like the Fusion, but I have serious doubts about their claimed displacement. 9075lbs? Seriously - NO WAY. We raced against a Fusion in a 38 foot boat, with somewhere beteen 1/2 and 2/3 the sail area, with dacron sails vs their carbon sails, and at pretty much the same weight or more, than they claim. Going by those numbers we should have been hammered. But it was us who hammered them. By huge margins at times.

(checked the numbers - our boat had 598 sq feet of sail vs Fusions 900 sq feet. We displaced AT LEAST 9200 lbs. in fact I'm sure we were heavier)

The handicappers seemed to have access to different information too - we were given a 0.82 handicap versus the Fusion at 0.54!! (Fusion Catamarans were a sponsor of the series.) And yet we still beat them ON HANDICAP!

There is just no possibility that those boats are as light as they claim, in the real world.

They are decent performing, good looking, roomy and well finished boats though.

edit: I seriously doubt you could get one sailing, with an interior for $400,000 too. I'd suggest you budget at closer to $600k, maybe more.

[ireaney]

44'Cruisingcat - although I have not seen one in the flesh and am therefore not in a position to judge, I still feel that I would have to agree with you over the weight issue, as to build a 40' cat with a 23' beam with twin 30hp diesels and all those accomodations it would be very, very difficult.
But this is not really my issue as compared to the equivalent size mass produced cats of France, S.A., UK and the USA it would be a lot lighter with a very much superior performance but also able to offer the comfort levels of a decent cruiser.
Costs to build will depend mostly on labour costs, the basic kit delivered to the UK would be about US$116,000, then depending on sourcing of equipment, where if clever you could save a small fortune (I have yet to start my costings), but I would hope to get away with about $400,000 to $500,000, I will not be putting in A/C, Generator, Watermaker etc.
When I have done my costings over the coming weeks I will post my results.
Did you base your estimates on US or AU $.??
Cheers Ian

[44'cruisingcat]

I am basing my price estimate on what people who own these boats have said. 'Shellac' pased through here on her way south, just after being launched. The boat was pretty much complete externally, but bare inside The owner said she owed him "the best part of 1/2 a million" (Shellac does have a bigger than standard rig, and is daggerboard equipped)

$116k for the basic kit is cheap though - they are a lot more than that here. Is that a current price?

[ireaney]

Yes this is the price quoted in US$ for the basic kit in 2 containers.
Are you talking about AU$ or US$??.

[44'cruisingcat]

I'm talking in AU$, but the exchange rates is close to 90c. That seems an excellent price compared to what they are asking here. I'd say go for it at that price!

[44'cruisingcat]

I got a curent price for the basic Fusion 40 kit here in Aus. It's $173,800 (Au). So $116K (US) is a hell of a lot better than they sell them to us for.

[ireaney]

I wonder why so different!! Re the contents any different?
I will check again tomorrow as the diffrence seems a lot.
I have been working on US$2.00 to the £ and AU$ of 2.4 to the £, which if you then add the Aus GST of 10% takes it up to about AU$153,000.00, which is still AU$20,000 less.
So let me check tomorrow as the prices are at my office.

[44'cruisingcat]

I would think as an exporter you wouldn't have to pay GST?

It's not at all uncommon for us Aussies to pay more for stuff made here than people overseas do. The cars we export are another example of this.

[ireaney]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I would think as an exporter you wouldn't have to pay GST?

It's not at all uncommon for us Aussies to pay more for stuff made here than people overseas do. The cars we export are another example of this.

That does seem stupid, having said that, one of my clients who have offices in Hong Kong, still buy from me because I can have goods made in mainland China and delivered to their offices in HK cheaper than their HK office can get them, and I am in the UK.
I will get back to you tomorrow.
Cheers Ian

[44'cruisingcat]

I have read that the cars Holden export to the middle East are somewhere around $12,000 cheaper there than here.

There's also a fair possibility the Fusion kit you get won't have been made in Aus. I'm pretty sure they have been opening up facilities in SE Asia. That might also explain the price difference.

[vegas]

I think the Fusion cat kit is now built by Cobra Marine in Thailand. It is probable the big duty into Australia that make it more expensive there.