Catamarans and Multihulls

Sailing catamarans and multihulls offer a very different experience from conventional monohull dinghies. With two or more hulls, wide platforms and powerful rigs, they can provide exceptional speed, stability and exhilarating sailing for everyone from recreational beach-cat sailors to serious racing crews. DinghyMart covers popular UK catamaran and multihull classes including Dart, Hobie, Nacra, Hurricane, Formula 18, Sprint 15, Shadow, Tornado and many more.

Choosing a Sailing Catamaran

Catamarans vary enormously. Some are simple recreational boats that can be sailed from a beach or sailing club, while others are extremely fast racing machines with trapezes, asymmetric spinnakers, carbon components and highly developed rigs. When choosing a used catamaran, think about how many people will normally sail it, your sailing experience, the amount of space available for storage and whether you intend to race. It is also worth remembering that catamarans are wide. Storage, launching and road transport can therefore require more planning than with a conventional sailing dinghy.

Dart 18

The Dart 18 is one of the classic British racing catamarans and remains a very recognisable boat around UK sailing clubs. It combines good performance with a relatively straightforward design and can provide excellent racing without the complexity of some more modern high-performance cats. There are also plenty of older Dart 18s in circulation, so they can provide an affordable route into catamaran sailing. When buying one, pay particular attention to hull condition, beams, trampoline, standing rigging, rudders, sails and the condition of both launching and road trailers.

Dart 15 / Sprint 15

The Dart 15, now widely known as the Sprint 15, is particularly interesting because it can offer exciting catamaran sailing without requiring a permanent two-person crew. Its relatively compact format has made it a popular introduction to cat sailing, while still offering proper one-design racing. For sailors coming from conventional single-handed dinghies, a Sprint 15 can be one of the more approachable ways of discovering multihull sailing.

Dart 16 and RS Cat 16

The Dart 16 and RS Cat 16 sit towards the more accessible and versatile end of catamaran sailing. They can suit sailing schools, clubs, families and recreational sailors looking for the speed and stability of a cat without immediately moving into specialist racing machinery. Durable construction and relatively simple layouts can also make this type of cat attractive to sailors who want fun rather than constant tuning.

Hobie Catamarans

Hobie is one of the most famous names in beach cat sailing. Boats such as the Hobie 16 helped popularise fast, accessible catamaran sailing around the world and still have an enthusiastic following. Other Hobie models vary considerably in size and performance, so when viewing a used boat it is important to identify the exact model and check that sails, rudders, trampoline, mast, beams and rigging are all present and serviceable. A complete older Hobie can be enormous fun, but replacing missing specialist components can quickly change the economics of a seemingly cheap boat.

Formula 18

The Formula 18 class sits firmly in the performance racing category. Rather than being centred around one manufacturer’s boat, F18 racing brings together catamarans built to a class formula. The result is fast, technical double-handed racing using powerful rigs, trapezes and spinnakers. An F18 can offer exceptional performance for an experienced crew, but buyers should look carefully at the age and condition of sails, mast, beams, foils, rudders, fittings and rigging. A cheap high-performance cat requiring substantial replacement equipment may not remain cheap for long.

Nacra

Nacra has produced a wide range of recreational and racing catamarans over the years, from club boats to very serious performance designs. Because the name covers numerous models and generations, buyers should establish exactly which Nacra they are looking at rather than judging a used boat by brand alone. Availability of replacement sails, rudder components, boards, beams and other model-specific parts is worth investigating before buying an older example.

Hurricane, Spitfire and Shearwater

The Hurricane, Spitfire and Shearwater appeal to sailors looking for fast British catamaran sailing with strong performance credentials. These are more specialist boats than basic beach cats and are generally best suited to experienced crews who understand trapezing, high-speed manoeuvres and the loads involved in powerful multihull rigs. A well-maintained example can provide tremendous performance for comparatively modest second-hand money.

A-Class Catamaran

The A-Class Catamaran is a lightweight development racing cat aimed at experienced sailors who enjoy technical setup and very high performance. Modern examples can be extremely sophisticated and the class has developed considerably over time, so age, design generation and equipment specification all matter when comparing used boats. This is very much a specialist racing choice rather than a general-purpose first catamaran.

Tornado

The Tornado is one of sailing’s great performance catamarans, with a famous international and Olympic history. Large, powerful and exceptionally fast, it is a boat for experienced sailors rather than beginners. Older Tornados can sometimes appear surprisingly inexpensive compared with their original level of performance, but buyers should carefully assess the complete package and the availability and condition of specialist equipment.

MiniCat and Portable Catamarans

At the opposite end of the spectrum are boats such as the MiniCat. Portable and inflatable multihulls solve some of the storage and transport problems associated with conventional rigid catamarans. They can be particularly attractive to recreational sailors, travellers or anyone without permanent dinghy-park storage. They offer a different proposition from a traditional racing cat but can make multihull sailing accessible to owners who could not practically store or transport a full-width boat.

Challenger Multihull

Not every boat in this section is technically a catamaran. The Challenger is a single-handed trimaran and belongs here because it uses a multihull platform rather than a conventional monohull dinghy layout. It is particularly well known as an accessible sailing class and demonstrates just how varied the multihull category can be.

Which Catamaran Should I Buy?

For accessible recreational or introductory cat sailing, look at boats such as the Dart 16, RS Cat 16 and suitable Hobie models. Solo sailors may be particularly interested in the Dart 15 / Sprint 15 or Shadow. For established club racing, the Dart 18 remains an obvious class to investigate, while experienced performance crews may be drawn towards Formula 18, Hurricane, Spitfire, Nacra or Tornado designs.

Before buying any used catamaran, inspect both hulls carefully and check the beams and their attachment points, trampoline, mast, standing rigging, sails, rudders, daggerboards where fitted and all control systems. Also inspect the launching trolley and road trailer. A catamaran trailer is a substantial part of the package and replacing or modifying one can add significantly to the real cost of buying the boat. Finally, check whether your sailing club can accommodate the boat. Width, launching arrangements, mast storage and available catamaran racing can all influence whether a particular multihull is genuinely suitable for where you intend to sail it.