Which Cat?

Hi Dan,

I've sailed Hurricanes and Nacra 6s quite a lot in the past (before cats had kites).  They are both nice boats and they are similar sizes and speeds (the Nacra is a fraction faster).  The Hurricane has centreboards whereas the Nacra has daggerboards - the daggerboards give marginally better upwind performance, but are not so good if you are at risk of running aground.  The Nacra is boomless, a little heavier (stronger?), has a slightly more modern hull shape (sort of wave piercing and the hulls are made in left and right hand halves rather than lower hull and deck joined on top - gives a gives a rounder deck edge) and has a forward beam that adds a bit of strength and means the jib is a bit bigger.

I think you would be happy with either, but would probably recommend the Hurricane.  You will have a lot of fun in it, it will be easier to sell on (they are more numerous here) and the centreboards are more practical.  Don't be put off by the fact it is a twenty year old design - it is still an excelelnt boat and it suits your needs much better than a F18. 

Definitely buy a Hurricane. The Class Association and Andy Webb give huge support to newcomers which is great. The boat is very tough and well mannered to sail. You'll also find a decent boat in your budget.

I am new to cat sailing and bought a Hobie Pacific for £5K with comfort wings last year and it is great. I sit on the wings, my wife goes out on the trapeze and its great fun. Maybe not as fast as the others but seems like a good place to start. Hulls are very buoyant compared to other cats so would be good for 26 stones easily. I look at this as a good way to get into cat sailing with the ability to take the family out.When I am ready and feeling flush maybe I might get another mean machine ( I saw the Tek Kat the other day, looked fantastic but ££££££). The other thing about aHobie Pacific is they seem to hold thier value so maybe a season on the Pacific, sell it on and get something else if you want to. I don't think you will be disappointed as a starting point.

Originally posted by English Dave  You can tow it flat while the F18 needs to be tilted or dismantled to fit on the roads. And they are available for not much money. Difficult to get more bang for the buck.

Wrong boat you got there Dave!! F18s can be towed flat no problem at all, its Tornados that you have to dismantle.

Talking of Tornados you could look into them, yes they are more power full than the 5.9, but they are wider giving more leaverage, and they are also pretty easy to depower when it gets windy, also they're pretty hard to capsize as they're so long and wide. I only weigh 45kg, well i could be maybee 50kg now, and i crew on a tornado sport with a old guy who can't weigh that much, max i'd say 75kg, at Weston Sc, we're fine, we don't have a proper square top main though, we're light for the boat and have to depower earlier than everyone else, but you guys at 25 stone would be pretty good on a Tornado. They're great boats and easy to power up or de-power. Only problem is that you do have to dismantle to trail, but that dosen't take long.

Go to www.catamaran.co.uk and there's a load for sale on there.

CR

So what did he buy???