The Future is all about Catamarans

September 8, 2013 by Jason Fish

Fads are not productive in sailboat design – it is more important that your boat protect you during extreme weather. For example, the bowline knot was used in 2580 BC and during the last 4,600 years no one has been able to invent an upgrade. I am still working on the Jason Knot. The appropriate skepticism of change by sailors has slowed down one movement that I think will expand rapidly following the America’s Cup in San Francisco. Catamarans will start to dominate new yacht sales for cruising boats and will expand in sport boats as well. I pause briefly to allow the die hard sailing forum readers to recite the typical faults of catamarans (static stability, width in marinas and tenderness to being overloaded). I will wait again while the catamaran proponents will come back with keels falling off mono hulls and the rest of their typical routine. This back and forth creates as many converts as the Mac-olytes and Windows worshipers. I will not wade in, as my view is obvious.

The entire audience watching race one of the America’s Cup from the shores of the San Francisco Bay were converted to the Catamaran religion. By the end of race two, I was dismissive that in 20 minutes these boats traveled the same course that used to take me 4 hours. The boats fly above the water in excess of 50 miles per hour, often traveling faster than the cars on the nearby bridges. The teams have spent in the neighborhood of 100 million dollars. Two Fish cost a bit less but goes a bit slower. SF has done a great job hosting the regatta. I snapped a few photos from the shore-side stands located in the Marina neighborhood. Congrats to the Kiwis on a strong first day.