Modern cats

[Naughty Cat]

At the Southampton Boat Show last week a common theme was the low numbers of youngsters taking up water sports and that has been going on for some time . I would not be surprised if a large number of posters here started sailing young and love the sport at its most basic level. This trend could see more people wanting a lifestyle on the water as opposed to an extension of the sport they love. Boats are changing to reflect that. There was a Bali 43 and a Catana 42 next to each other (I must have missed the Catana 43, maybe it was next to the Capri 47 &#128521 One a low profile low (ish) volume fast cruising cat with dagger boards, outboard helms and a large trampoline, the other a fly bridged, high volume, solid foredecked cat with a full height American fridge freezer and an up and over garage door. Guess which got the most visitors? Interestingly, the new Discovery 50 also has a forward seating area, hot tub and consequently a significantly reduced trampoline but I doubt there are many on here that would not take that around the world.

[mikedefieslife]

Modern boats are big. Modern cats even bigger.





Pretty much every single modern mono and many old monos are larger, have more windage, and higher freeboard than my 70s cat.

Really i don't see why people care. There's no one posting on here going look at the windage of that new container ship, or of super yacht A.

[Thalas]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I'd be surprised if there are any other modern sailing cats with solid foredecks.

The Xquisite X5 has a solid foredeck and word is it sails well. Bali 4.5 is def geared for charter island hopping, but the X5 is a bluewater cruiser.

[Thalas]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

They could at least give a nod to some eye pleasing style. And try to acknowledge that aerodynamics at least exists. Of course much the same could be said about so many of the current vehicle designs... Is class dead?

The FPs tend to have much less windage than Lagoons with their sleeker, slanted design language and while I think the top end monohulls will always be the best looking boats, if you don't think this is beautiful, I feel bad for you...

[PhiSig1071]

Originally Posted by Thalas

The Xquisite X5 has a solid foredeck and word is it sails well. Bali 4.5 is def geared for charter island hopping, but the X5 is a bluewater cruiser.

That's more of a hybrid foredeck, very similar to the older Privilege Cats. It still has tramps, and the deck in the middle is flat, and would shed water into the tramps. From the pictures I've seen the Bali is completely solid, and has recessed seating that would trap water, especially if the drains are inadequate.

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by Thalas

The Xquisite X5 has a solid foredeck and word is it sails well. Bali 4.5 is def geared for charter island hopping, but the X5 is a bluewater cruiser.

Put a chin strap on it and it looks just like my bicycle helmet.

[solarbri]

Originally Posted by Thalas

The Xquisite X5 has a solid foredeck and word is it sails well. Bali 4.5 is def geared for charter island hopping, but the X5 is a bluewater cruiser.

I am a self proclaimed multihull lover. I LOVE almost everything Cat/Tri/Proa, but....
That X5 will take A LOT of processing before my brain can (hopefully) find something beautiful about it.
That is just WEIRD looking...imho.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by solarbri

I am a self proclaimed multihull lover. I LOVE almost everything Cat/Tri/Proa, but....
That X5 will take A LOT of processing before my brain can (hopefully) find something beautiful about it.
That is just WEIRD looking...imho.

Im with you, there just seems to be to much visually... but I'd still have it.

[Polux]

This thread is odd, what the hell is a modern cat? We can have the same question regarding monohulls and the answer is the same: cats or monohulls that are designed according today's state of the art in what regards yacht design.

But of course, this state of the art refers to very different types of cats according with different design criteria and different user needs. The same is true to monohulls.

Another thing is talking about the more common types, the ones that most sailors want and that become dominant in what regards market.

In that respect the differences between monohulls and multihulls are not that different, on the most common type: both maximize interior space, keep sailing hardware as simple and basic as possible, privilege downwind performance and a good motoring potential.

Even so the upwind potential on this dominant trend is clearly better on monohulls while the interior space is better on multihulls that are also more expensive for the same size.

This trend represents what most want on a cruising boat and that is not in first place a sailing potential (a good sailing boat). It is known that by far, on a good sailing boat, upwind sailing is by far the most common sailing position and if the boat was designed primarily as a sailing boat, the upwind sailing potential should be very important as a design criteria. It is not and the reason is that most cruisers motor most of the time and that means while sailing upwind.

That is not by any means any critic to those cruisers but the reality that explains why the more common type of multihulls and monohulls are designed the way they are. For most cruising ability, going to where they want in an efficient way is the goal and since more than 90% of the cruising is made in coastal waters with some passages that don't exceed some few days, motoring is the right option for most, unless they have perfect sailing conditions downwind or on a beam reach.

Saying all this it is good to remember that modern main trend monohulls, even if far from the potential upwind of a monohull designed with that in mind as a main design criteria, have a performance upwind equal or superior than the vast majority of
old sailing cruiser designs (30 years older or more).

[malbert73]

Attachment 156667

Wow. I'm sure I'd like to charter one with full diesel tanks for going upwind but i wouldn't look back at it from the dinghy. Look at the height of that boom.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Im with you, there just seems to be to much visually... but I'd still have it.

I have been onboard. She is spectacular.

As for beauty, I am in Shakespeare's corner.

Cheers,
barnakiel

[mikereed100]

“Proper deformity seems not in the fiend so horrid as in woman (boats).”

Shakespeare (edited for clarity)

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Attachment 156667

Wow. I'm sure I'd like to charter one with full diesel tanks for going upwind but i wouldn't look back at it from the dinghy. Look at the height of that boom.

Had one in front of me last night. The girlfriend was amazed how they had full size timber out door setting on the back porch.
I've got to move, my boat just keeps getting smaller..lol.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Polux

This thread is odd, what the hell is a modern cat? We can have the same question regarding monohulls and the answer is the same: cats or monohulls that are designed according today's state of the art in what regards yacht design.

But of course, this state of the art refers to very different types of cats according with different design criteria and different user needs. The same is true to monohulls.

Another thing is talking about the more common types, the ones that most sailors want and that become dominant in what regards market.

In that respect the differences between monohulls and multihulls are not that different, on the most common type: both maximize interior space, keep sailing hardware as simple and basic as possible, privilege downwind performance and a good motoring potential.

Even so the upwind potential on this dominant trend is clearly better on monohulls while the interior space is better on multihulls that are also more expensive for the same size.

This trend represents what most want on a cruising boat and that is not in first place a sailing potential (a good sailing boat). It is known that by far, on a good sailing boat, upwind sailing is by far the most common sailing position and if the boat was designed primarily as a sailing boat, the upwind sailing potential should be very important as a design criteria. It is not and the reason is that most cruisers motor most of the time and that means while sailing upwind.

That is not by any means any critic to those cruisers but the reality that explains why the more common type of multihulls and monohulls are designed the way they are. For most cruising ability, going to where they want in an efficient way is the goal and since more than 90% of the cruising is made in coastal waters with some passages that don't exceed some few days, motoring is the right option for most, unless they have perfect sailing conditions downwind or on a beam reach.

Saying all this it is good to remember that modern main trend monohulls, even if far from the potential upwind of a monohull designed with that in mind as a main design criteria, have a performance upwind equal or superior than the vast majority of
old sailing cruiser designs (30 years older or more).

Hi Polux, it was just a very loose definition of the cats im surrounded by, new, big, shiny with lots of volume.

Ive never spent so much time around so many cats, literally five to 15 every night.

And yes most are motoring, not a reflection of the boat but more the type of captain on them. All charter boats.

Just on a side note, a mayday went out last week, quite a panicked voice, turned out to be a fouled anchor and they didnt know where they were.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Thalas

The Xquisite X5 has a solid foredeck and word is it sails well. Bali 4.5 is def geared for charter island hopping, but the X5 is a bluewater cruiser.

Whose word is that? The manufacturer?