Of the last 20 years, the Classics of the Cruiser multihulls?

[duefocena]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

Howdy!

I like this topic. But, I think the definition of "cruiser multihull" should be a little broader than the OP suggested in the top post.

Instead of looking at only boats that are 40+ feet, I suggest that there are other multihulls deserving notice and praise that are smaller but still useable as a cruiser.

Which ones?

For example, the Ian Farrier designed "F-27" would be my first thought. It is one of only two multihulls that have been inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame (the other was the Hobie 16).

The F-27 was ground breaking in design at the time. It spawned a great interest in smaller, faster multihulls that had a large enough cabin for a couple or small crew to sleep in. The boats are fast and won races. They are versatile in that they can be trailered home and go down the highway on a trailer at 55mph. They have crossed oceans (see clips below).

I first noticed them in the late 1980s in San Francisco Bay when one blasted past me while I was on a nice fast J-35 that was rigged for speed. The F-27 just skimmed over the waves and look like it was flying! Very impressive, and at that time I thought: "I want to sail on one of those."

While it is rather small in some ways, so would not likely be a "charter condomaran" in the Caribbean, the ability to trailer it home or to a lake or coastal areas gives it a different kind of appeal.

To me, it is like a "pocket cruiser" in multihull form. I would happily cruise with it to many places (to the Bahamas, coastal East Coast, etc.).

The F-27 is just one model from this line. There are smaller and larger models.

The following is clipped from the F-27 website, where there are many photos showing the build and development of the line.

F-27 - Hall Of Fame

F-27 Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

By Ian Farrier (The designer.)

The first ocean crossing was made by Mark Robson's F-27 KILLER FROG, with John Walton as crew, sailing in the 1987 Trans Pac Race from Long Beach to Hawaii. KILLER FROG averaged just on 8 knots for a quick 12 day passage, including one 250 mile day.

Adrian Went's F-27 OLIJFE then made an Atlantic crossing in 1988, with an impressive passage of 23 days from Cape Cod to Bishop Rock, England
F-27s also continued to demonstrate their seaworthiness, with two more crossing the Pacific to Hawaii in 1990 one single-handed, one double-handed.

It should also be noted that while it is nice to know that the F-27 is seaworthy enough to cross oceans, it is a little small for this, and ocean crossing is not a recommended purpose.

The F-27 continued on regardless, and in 1993 two F-27s set an incredible performance mark in the 1993 Miami - Key Largo race, averaging an amazing 18.2 and 17.9 knots for the 43 mile course.

In January 1995 SAIL magazine gave the F-27 an honorable mention, along with such boats as the Laser and the 12m Australia II, as "having had a significant and positive impact on sailing over the past 25 years". The F-27 was being noticed and becoming part of the establishment.
In February, 1997, after a 12 year model cycle, and 450 boats built, the F-27 was replaced by the F-28,

F-27 production peaked at 101 boats a year in 1991, a figure that has not been equaled since by any other model at Corsair, nor in fact by all other models combined. It put multihulls firmly on the map, and proved it was possible to build a good quality multihull, that had both room and performance, and an affordable price. It has provided excellent value for owners, many selling their boats for more than the original purchase price, even after years of use. The F-27 truly is a classic multihull.

While I thought the OP's interest was cruising catamarans I would agree fold up trimarans were an influence. I personally see Hobie Alter as the biggest introduction to multihulls of anyone in America. Thousands owned and raced around the world involving literally millions of people. Who else has introduced people to multihulls in these numbers? Attending his funeral in Dana Point this last year in the water at a paddle out funeral we lost a true pioneer and innovator. I know he started me off and was one of the first I owned at sixteen years of age.

[Mike T]

Without a doubt the greatest Classic Multihull ever,ever, is the Prout Snowgoose Mk1, it is by far the safest easily handled boat with a good turn of speed, 8knts + in a moderate breeze an excellent cockpit layout and acres of deck space. It's canoe shaped stern keeps the boat uncannily flat when running downwind and its narrow enough to fit through the French Canals, try getting a Lagoon to do that! It has for its size "sufficient" accommodation and to top it all is built like the preverbial 'brick outhouse'. Of course I'm totally unbiased even though I've been sailing one for 10years. :-)

[Bobcat]

I've never had catamaran less than 35yrs old or more than 8m (26ft) long - maybe that's old enough to be called a classic ... 20yrs old, hardly! Check out the Classic Boat Fora and see what they call classic yachts - there's quite a bit of discussion on the topic. 'Fiberclassics' is one and another is the 'Classic Boat Forum'. I think that the early GRP cats could probably be called 'classic' by now and the older marine ply ones may already be 'vintage'!

There were many early cruising cats between about 7m and 10m including the famous Bill O'Brien 'Oceanic' that was the first around Cape Horn with the Swale family (18 months, 30,000 miles with two young children on board). They set out with a crew of two and finished with a crew of four! There were many famous trans Ocean, including Atlantic and Pacific voyages in the 'vintage' class.

Rudi Wagner took his 26ft Bobcat across the Atlantic in 1967 'Weit,weit voraus liegt antigua' (1968) , Rosie rounded the Horn in 1972 and many early Wharram, Prout and Patterson catamarans completed interesting voyages including 'Two Girls Two Catamarans' (James Wharram) - he first sailed a cat sailed across the Atlantic in 1956. The Dutch Catamaran en Trimaran Club also seems to have a good list of books on their site.

For those that are interested then here are a few good reads: 'Catamarans for Cruising' (Jim Andrews), 'Catamarans in Close-Up' (Patrick Boyd) and 'Children of Cape Horn' (Rosie Swale). Rosie cruised with her very young children and husband for 18 months including rounding the Cape. Other sources to check out are the 'Bill O'Brien Catamaran' facebook open group, the Oceanic Group and the Catamaran Cruising Association. Have fun 26ft is enough and many built in the '50s and 60's are still alive and well sailing in various far flung places!

[D&D]

The Lagoon 440...>400 of them out there being cruised and enjoyed and so they should be. The L440 was revolutionary in its day, combining a host of features now widely copied by others (flybridge, forward cockpit, bridgedeck nacelle) with outstanding space and comfort, along with blue water safety and solid sailing ability. The L440's appearance marked (and in our view it continues to be) the ultimate cruising cat...not that we're biased, of course...

[trifan]

Hmmm... the OP said "cruiser multihulls" without specifying number of hulls and the best trimaran y'all came up with was a dinky lil foldup? Get real. The Norman Cross boats are great but my favorites are the Horstmans. Daggerboards in the amas if needed, gobs of room inside, less windage than a cat, no banging from waves pounding the underside of the deck. Ketch rigs fit nicely in the ICW (mostly - there are a couple of spots east). Most I have seen have enclosed pilot houses. One engine instead of two, yada yada yada.

[spiv]

It seems that some people forget that catamarans must not be build like 'brick houses' to sail well they must be light, otherwise they sail like bricks.
Having sailed on one, I would join the lagoon 380 supporters.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by trifan

Hmmm... the OP said "cruiser multihulls" without specifying number of hulls and the best trimaran y'all came up with was a dinky lil foldup? Get real. The Norman Cross boats are great but my favorites are the Horstmans. Daggerboards in the amas if needed, gobs of room inside, less windage than a cat, no banging from waves pounding the underside of the deck. Ketch rigs fit nicely in the ICW (mostly - there are a couple of spots east). Most I have seen have enclosed pilot houses. One engine instead of two, yada yada yada.

Of the last 20 years? That is the subject of the op. Otherwise we would all be paying homage (and deservedly so) to Jim Brown and James Wharram, along with Cross, Horstman and others.

[D&D]

Originally Posted by spiv

It seems that some people forget that catamarans must not be build like 'brick houses' to sail well they must be light, otherwise they sail like bricks.
Having sailed on one, I would join the lagoon 380 supporters.

Many people (and probably many here?) would apply the 'brick houses' analogy to the L380...and probably any other Lagoon (or production cat?) as well. Like you, however, we sailed the L380 and would agree it earned and deserves its place in this thread as a true 'classic'.

[Kalinowski]

Privilege stole my heart and mind when I saw their ad when they first came out. Never recovered.

[contrail]

Trying to follow the OP's requirements, closely, rather than changing them, I would list the Prout Snowgoose, the Privilege 39, the TPI Lagoon 42, the Lagoon 380 and the Gemini. Coming up, but a couple of years too young, would be the Leopard 45, and in another ten we would have the Lagoon 440.

Strong points of the Leopard 45, which I have, would be strength of construction, size of accommodation, ease of maintenance and sailing ability.

Cheers,
Tim

[REsCat]

Originally Posted by Hocus Pocus

We are three months into a circumnavigation aboard our 1996 Prout Quasar 50. She's built like a tank but can easily achieve 15 to 18 knots in 20 to 25 knots of wind.

Wow!.... I can't achieve those speeds with those winds unless all the stars are aligned (wind,waves,current, surfing etc etc... ) and I have almost twice your working sail area.

Gunboat should take another look at the classic old Prout designs for performance ideas ...

Bob

[takeabow40]

Mashford Claris 40 I am biased though excellent in rough water reasonably light weight and quick

[makana]

We've owned our Admiral 38 for nine years, crossed the Atlantic from Africa with our then 3 year old daughter, top speed 16.9 knots, avg daily speed 9 knots. We've been living aboard sailing between the Bahamas and Maine each year. Boat speed indeed depends on the physical factors of a vessel, however how the sails are used/trimmed can make a huge difference in performance. We spent our first winter cruising in the Caribbean with a family who had a 42' Catana with dagger boards and new main. Due to my windsurfing background we beat them to almost every anchorage mainly due to poor sail trim by them. This change by the end of the winter, I'd give him a tip or two each week. Our boat is very comfortable to live on, water maker, genset, AC, freezer, fridg., owners head, huge galley and excellent overall layout. My wife and I can comfortably handle sailing/docking/anchoring and having a vessel with a mast less then 64 feet is a plus if cruising the US east coast. At times a bigger boat would be nice, but not currently as we are in the process of waxing and painting and I wish my boat was smaller!

[Factor]

Originally Posted by takeabow40

Mashford Claris 40 I am biased though excellent in rough water reasonably light weight and quick

Superb Boat, know it well.

[REsCat]

Originally Posted by makana

We've owned our Admiral 38 for nine years, crossed the Atlantic from Africa with our then 3 year old daughter, top speed 16.9 knots, avg daily speed 9 knots.

Wow!... Rick that is phenomenal performance for a Trans Atlantic coming from South Africa. A daily 9knots avg is 216nm per day... which even by motoring is quite an accomplishment. You must have had incredible winds or huge fuel reserves or both.
I have friends who came across in a new St Francis 50 a few years back and they came nowhere near that experience. They constantly encountered light or no winds in those Lats.

Bob