cruising catamaran with daggerboards

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Catamaran basics The daggerboards: understanding and adjusting them

Having a catamaran with daggerboards means enjoying better pointing ability than an equivalent model equipped with fixed stub keels, which are inevitably shorter. It means that you can also optimize drag, speed and even safety. Partially integrated, with foils...an inventory of the daggerboards on our boats and how to use these appendages.

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Published 01/04/2015

By Emmanuel van Deth

Published: may / june 2015

Choose the option that suits you best!

Issue #: 141

Published: May / June 2015

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1) All the Catanas are equipped with daggerboards. They are very long, and held structurally in their cases by the whole height of the hulls. Simple and strong, but beware of the significant windage in the raised position.

2) The latest Catana models are equipped with curved daggerboards. On the 59, the foil effect is worth 500kg at a speed of 15 knots.

3) The latest Outremers have adopted shorter structural cases, to reduce the size of the daggerboards. Less windage in the raised position and less weight, but the construction is more complex…

4) Numerous trimarans are also equipped with daggerboards/centerboards. They can be central and integrated into the accommodation, as aboard this Dash 750.

5) Other trimarans, such as the Tricat 25, are equipped with centerboards integrated into the floats.

6) Builders such as Outremer provide stopper knots for the daggerboard control lines; a good way to judge the position when the daggerboard is not visible.

7) Once the daggerboard is out of its case, it is easier to judge: the lifelines are an excellent adjustment indicator!

8) To windward in light weather, the daggerboards are fully lowered, to take advantage of maximum 'grip' on the water.

9) When the speed increases, it is worthwhile raising the windward board to optimize drag. Note: a daggerboard which moves is no use. Therefore we raise it!

10) But for safety, it is preferable to raise the leeward appendage: in the case of a strong gust, the risk of the boat ‘tripping up’ is thus reduced. The compromise could be to raise both the daggerboards by half... It’s up to you to judge!

11) Downwind, the daggerboards are no longer useful, especially when the boat exceeds 10 knots... Keeping one third of the surface can however help the helmsman or the autopilot to steer a straighter course.

12) Heavy weather? Raise them completely so the hulls slide. On the other hand, with big seas from behind, (just like downwind in more manageable weather) it may be useful to keep a little daggerboard lowered to avoid yawing.

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Grand Large Yatching

Daggerboards: how to adjust them on your catamaran

Author : Nikki Henderson

When I asked the Outremer Ladies’ community for suggestions on webinar topics, ‘Daggerboards’ was top of the list. I wasn’t surprised. I don’t think I’ve had a day out on an Outremer with prospective or current owners where daggerboards were not discussed.

It makes sense that there is a curiosity about daggerboards; using them properly is essential if you want your Outremer to perform. What is interesting though, is how confusing people find them.

One thing I’ve realised is that for some people, the issue is similar to my relationship with electronics (hate) and engineering (love). Things I cannot physically see are inherently cloaked in mystery and much more challenging for me to understand. This can be the case with daggerboards: they are hidden underwater and so are often forgotten or misunderstood.

The other reason that daggerboards can be confusing is that they affect not just the performance of a catamaran, but also the safety. Sometimes the theories contradict each other and lead to conflicting advice as to the right and wrong way to use them. In fact, there is no one ‘rule’ about daggerboards. The key, as with anything on a boat, is to understand the reasoning behind the basic daggerboard practices, so that you can make your own decision based on your own unique circumstances that you encounter at any particular time.

I hope this blog will help you build this critical foundation of understanding so that you can set sail safely and with confidence. Daggerboards – like sail trim – is a subject of continual learning. See this as step 1 in the life-long journey.

Catamaran daggerboards: how should they be adjusted for optimum sailing?

Daggerboards are best thought of as an ‘underwater sail’ – sometimes called a ‘foil’. Just as a sail above the water needs trimming – so does the sail under the water. But unlike the sail above the water, the daggerboard only has one trim option: how much of it is exposed below the hull.

When sailing upwind the daggerboards provide resistance and lift under the water to balance out the sideways effort force from the sail above the water. In more simple terms, daggerboards help the boat move forward rather than sideways when sailing upwind. Therefore, when sailing upwind, the assumed best practice is to have the daggerboards down. [UP-wind = DOWN-board]

When sailing downwind, the effort force from the sail works almost entirely in the direction you need the boat to go. Therefore, you do not need the resistance under the water from the daggerboard to help with the direction. In fact, it will probably hinder you from sailing deep downwind and slow you down. Therefore, when sailing downwind, the assumed best practice is to have the daggerboards up. [DOWN-wind = UP-board]

Generally, when sailing with wind on the beam – a good ‘go-to’ trim set up is one that is somewhere in the middle of downwind and upwind trim. Therefore, a good starting point for a beam reach would be to lift the daggerboards half-way up.

Which catamaran daggerboard for which sailing conditions?

For any competent dinghy sailors who understand daggerboards, this is the most common question as they are typically used to using only one!

An important key principle, is that a daggerboard is only effective when it is submerged in the water. Therefore, if you were sailing the boat purely for performance in a flat sea, you would always need to be trimming at least the leeward one. If the windward hull lifts slightly here and there (which it does fractionally in any substantial wind) then the windward daggerboard is not working efficiently.

Do you drop the windward board? In relation to performance, this depends on how much underwater resistance you need.

In very light winds, the standard practice is to lift the windward daggerboard all the way and only trim the leeward board. When both daggerboards are down, (for simplicity) there is now double the ‘underwater sail’ area. This would likely imbalance how much power there is from the light winds on the sail above the water, and literally ‘drag’ the boat and slow her down.

As the winds increase, there may be a time where you feel you want more underwater resistance, and you could consider lowering the windward board as well. You might find your course over ground improves. Then it was a good decision. If your speed decreases, it might be creating too much drag and you should lift it back up.

If the wind continues to increase further, it is likely you will choose to reef the main. If we return to the concept of the daggerboard being the ‘underwater sail’, if you reef the main, then consider reefing the daggerboard and lifting some up slightly with each reef you put in upwind to keep the boat balanced.

You may be wondering how such a tiny thing as a daggerboard could balance out the enormous sail area of a main sail. The answer here is that water is a much denser fluid than air, and so the daggerboard needs much less area to create the same force than it would do if it were in air.

Safety at sea: adjusting daggerboards to avoid risks

This is where things start to get a little confusing.

The leeward daggerboard being down will increase the risk of ‘tripping up’. Therefore, in any significant sea state – or possible impending increase in wind/seastate such as if you are close to a mountainous shore line – where you feel that the hull is, or may, lift a lot, it is in fact safer to lift the leeward daggerboard and only use the windward one. Be aware that you will see a drop in performance as this contradicts the performance best practice of trimming the leeward board and not the windward.

The safest option entirely in very large sea states where the sea is actually tilting the boat significantly from side to side as she rolls down waves is to lift both daggerboards, so you float along waves like a raft.

‘Tripping up’ is a phrase used a lot and in fact sometimes misunderstood. To explain what it means: if there is wind/waves coming from the side of the boat and the windward hull lifts slightly in a wave, or there is a gust and the sail powers the boat forward – the leeward hull can ‘dig in’ to a wave and trip the boat up. The best way to imagine this is imagine getting one of your shoelaces on one of your feet stuck but the rest of your body is still walking. You will fall over. Same with the boat.

A converse argument to lifting the daggerboards up, is that dropping both of them will protect the underside of the boat – from grounding, or from hitting a submerged object. Having both daggerboards partially down can protect the propellor. Having them at ‘deck level’ can protect the rudder. In other words, if you hit something then it will hit the daggerboard before the more fragile underwater equipment.

Another argument against lifting the daggerboards entirely, is that with no daggerboards, your rudder is doing all the ‘resistance-work’. It is hard to believe, but it also acts as a very tiny underwater sail too. There will be a huge load on the rudder with no daggerboard at all and this risk is probably not worth the gain in speed on a long downwind ocean crossing. One way to spot if the rudder is working too hard is just look at your autopilot rudder angle – if it’s maxing out and having to work very hard to keep the boat going straight then you probably have too much sideways slip. It’s a bit like the boat is sailing on an ice rink. In that case, I’d recommend putting both of them down a touch. This will benefit both the ruder and the autopilot (therefore power consumption).

(Read our Safe Sailing article to learn more about safety on board)

Using daggerboards is a balancing act! Boat weight, weight distribution, sail area, wind strength, sea state, sail trim are all things that effect the decision for how to use the daggerboards: how much daggerboard to use and which one (or both) to use. This is why it’s not an exact ‘one size fits all’ rule and anyone who tells you so is probably oversimplifying it which could lead to a dangerous sitaution. But start using them and see how the boat feels. The beauty of buying an Outremer is that if you keep her lightweight and trimmed well, then she will talk to you and tell you what feels good. Don’t believe me? Try sailing a brand-new Outremer out of the factory before she has anything on – then compare it to one with four peoples’ life belongings on – and you will see what I mean. 😉

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What Are Daggerboards on a Catamaran? (An In-Depth Look)

Have you ever wondered how catamarans move so fast and efficiently through the water? The answer lies in daggerboards, a unique and essential feature of these vessels.

Many sailors consider daggerboards to be one of the key advantages of sailing on a catamaran over a monohull sailboat.

If you’re curious to learn more about the science behind this nautical feature, then this article is for you.

Here, we’ll dive into the details of what daggerboards are, how they work, the benefits they offer, the types of daggerboards, and the best practices for maintenance and performance.

By the end, you’ll be an expert on the topic and be able to make an informed decision about the best type of daggerboard for your vessel.

Table of Contents

Short Answer

Daggerboards are vertical boards on a catamaran that can be raised and lowered to provide lateral resistance and stability to the boat.

When the daggerboards are lowered, they provide more stability and can help the catamaran sail closer to the wind.

When they are raised, the catamaran has less resistance and can move faster.

Daggerboards are an important part of a catamaran’s design, as they provide stability and control in difficult weather conditions.

What Are Daggerboards?

Daggerboards are a vertical fin-like structure found on a catamaran, which is a type of sailboat with two hulls of equal size.

Daggerboards are typically located on the centerline of the boat and can be raised and lowered at the skipper’s discretion.

This allows the skipper to adjust the center of effort on the boat, which in turn affects the boat’s maneuverability and control.

At the most basic level, daggerboards provide additional lift and stability to a catamaran, allowing for improved performance in light winds.

They work by creating forward thrust and lift, helping the boat move through the water more efficiently and allowing it to make tighter turns.

Daggerboards also help to reduce leeway, which is the tendency of a boat to drift sideways in the water due to the wind pushing against its sails.

By positioning the daggerboard at an angle, the skipper can reduce the amount of leeway the boat experiences, allowing it to maintain a more consistent course.

Overall, daggerboards are a key component of sailing catamarans and can have a significant impact on the performance of the boat.

With the right setup, they can make a boat faster, more maneuverable, and easier to control in a variety of conditions.

For sailors looking to get the most out of their catamaran, understanding how to use daggerboards is essential.

How Daggerboards Work

Daggerboards, also known as centerboards, are a vertical fin-like structure found on a catamaran.

They are typically located on the centerline of the boat and can be raised and lowered at the skippers discretion.

Daggerboards are designed to provide the catamaran with additional lift and stability in light wind conditions.

This helps to improve the performance of the catamaran by adjusting the center of effort on the boat, allowing for greater maneuverability and control.

When the daggerboards are lowered, they act as an underwater keel, providing additional stability and lift.

This helps the catamaran to cut through the water more efficiently, allowing it to move faster and with greater control.

The daggerboards also help to prevent the boat from drifting sideways in the wind, which can be a common issue with monohulls.

The daggerboards also help to reduce the amount of heeling (leaning) experienced when sailing upwind, making the sailing experience more comfortable and enjoyable.

When the daggerboards are raised, the catamaran will be more maneuverable and have improved performance in light wind conditions.

This is due to the reduced drag caused by the daggerboards not being in the water.

The raised daggerboards will also help to reduce the amount of heeling experienced when sailing downwind, making the sailing experience more comfortable and enjoyable.

The use of daggerboards can significantly improve the performance of a catamaran in light wind conditions and is a key component of sailing catamarans.

By raising and lowering the daggerboards, the skipper can adjust the center of effort on the boat, allowing for greater maneuverability and control.

The Benefits of Daggerboards

Daggerboards are an essential part of sailing catamarans for a number of reasons.

The most obvious benefit of having daggerboards on a catamaran is that they provide additional lift and stability, allowing for improved performance in light winds.

By raising and lowering the daggerboards, the skipper can adjust the center of effort on the boat, giving them greater control over the boat’s maneuverability.

This can be advantageous in tricky situations, such as sailing close-hauled or in tight spaces.

Additionally, daggerboards can help reduce drag in certain conditions.

By raising the daggerboards, the boat can be steered more efficiently by using the hulls to provide lift instead of the daggerboards, which can result in less drag and improved performance.

Finally, daggerboards can help improve the safety of a catamaran.

In rough seas, daggerboards can provide additional stability, helping to keep the boat upright and preventing it from capsizing or being damaged.

This can be especially beneficial when sailing in unfamiliar waters or in bad weather conditions.

In summary, daggerboards are an invaluable component of sailing catamarans.

They provide added lift and stability, can be used to adjust the center of effort on the boat, reduce drag, and improve the safety of the boat.

With all these features, it’s no wonder that daggerboards are a must-have for any serious catamaran sailor.

Types of Daggerboards

When it comes to daggerboards, there are two main types that can be found on a catamaran: retractable and fixed. Retractable daggerboards are typically made of fiberglass and can be raised and lowered at the skipper’s discretion. This allows the skipper to adjust the center of effort of the boat, providing improved maneuverability and control. Fixed daggerboards are usually made of wood or metal and are permanently mounted in the centerline of the boat. These boards provide an extra layer of stability and lift to the catamaran, allowing it to perform better in light winds.

In addition to the two main types of daggerboards, there are also some other variations that can be found on some catamarans.

A daggerboard trunk is a type of daggerboard that is mounted inside the hull of the boat.

This allows the daggerboard to be raised and lowered without having to be removed from the boat.

A foil daggerboard is a type of retractable daggerboard that is designed to provide additional lift and stability to the catamaran, allowing it to perform better in heavier winds.

There are also battened daggerboards, which are a type of fixed daggerboard that is designed to provide additional lift and stability to the catamaran.

No matter which type of daggerboard is chosen, they all provide additional lift and stability to a catamaran, allowing it to perform better in different wind conditions.

By understanding the different types of daggerboards and how they can improve a catamaran’s performance, skippers can make the most of their sailing experience.

Daggerboard Maintenance

Daggerboard maintenance is an important aspect of owning and sailing a catamaran.

It is important to keep the boards in good condition to ensure they are performing as efficiently as possible.

This means periodically checking the boards for wear and tear, making sure they are properly lubricated and free of debris, and ensuring that the fastenings and connections are secure.

Regularly inspecting the boards for signs of corrosion or damage is also important.

If damage is found, it should be addressed immediately to prevent further damage and to ensure that the boards are performing as efficiently as possible.

In addition to inspecting the boards, it is important to keep them lubricated to ensure smooth and efficient performance.

The best way to do this is by regularly applying a lubricant specifically designed for marine use.

This will help reduce friction and keep the boards in good condition for longer.

It is also important to keep the fastenings and connections of the boards secure.

This includes the bolts that attach the boards to the frame, as well as the pins and clips that hold the boards in place.

It is important to inspect these regularly for signs of wear and tear, and to replace them if necessary.

Finally, it is important to keep the boards free of debris or dirt.

This can be done by regularly rinsing the boards off with fresh water after sailing, and by using a soft brush to remove any dirt or debris that has accumulated.

By following these simple maintenance tips, you can ensure that your daggerboards are performing as efficiently as possible and that your catamaran is sailing to its full potential.

Daggerboard Upgrades

The daggerboard is a key feature on catamarans, as it provides lift and stability to the boat.

It is located on the centerline of the boat and can be raised and lowered at the skipper’s discretion.

This allows the skipper to adjust the center of effort on the boat, enabling greater maneuverability and control.

For those looking to maximize the performance of their catamaran, there are several upgrades available for the daggerboard.

A taller daggerboard can be installed to increase the lift and reduce drag, while a lower profile board can provide improved stability.

Additionally, a carbon fiber board can be used to reduce weight, further increasing the overall performance of the boat.

Another upgrade is the addition of a daggerboard trim tab, which allows for more precise control of the daggerboard.

This is especially useful in light winds, as it allows the skipper to adjust the daggerboard to maintain the optimum angle of attack.

This can significantly improve the performance of the boat in light winds.

Finally, there are a variety of shapes available for the daggerboard.

Different shapes are designed to optimize the performance of the boat in different conditions, so it is important to select the shape that best suits your needs.

In conclusion, daggerboards are a key component of sailing catamarans and can have a significant impact on the performance of the boat.

By upgrading the daggerboard, skippers can maximize the performance of their catamaran and improve its overall maneuverability and control.

Daggerboard Performance

When it comes to sailing performance, daggerboards can have a significant impact on a catamaran.

When the daggerboards are up, the center of effort is lowered, allowing the catamaran to sail in light winds with better speed and efficiency.

When the daggerboards are down, they provide additional lift and stability, allowing for improved performance in heavier winds.

The shape and size of the daggerboard also affects the performance of the catamaran.

A wide, shallow daggerboard will provide more lift in light winds, while a narrow, deep daggerboard will provide more stability in heavier winds.

As such, it is important to choose the right daggerboard for your catamaran to get the most out of it.

In addition to improving the performance of the boat, daggerboards can also help reduce drag when sailing upwind.

When sailing upwind, the daggerboards create a venturi effect, which helps reduce the drag on the boat.

This can make a huge difference in performance and can allow the catamaran to reach higher speeds in upwind conditions.

Finally, daggerboards can make a catamaran more responsive to steering.

When sailing downwind, the daggerboards can be used to help the boat turn more quickly and with greater precision.

In this way, the daggerboards can be used to make a catamaran more responsive and agile.

By adjusting the daggerboards, the skipper can adjust the center of effort on the boat, allowing for greater maneuverability and control.

Daggerboards can also help reduce drag when sailing upwind and make the catamaran more responsive to steering.

Final Thoughts

Daggerboards are a key component of sailing catamarans, and their presence has a significant impact on the performance of the boat.

They can provide additional lift and stability, allowing for improved performance in light winds, as well as greater maneuverability and control.

With the variety of daggerboard types, upgrades, and maintenance available, there is something for every boat and sailor.

Understanding how daggerboards work and the impact they can have on sailing performance can help you make the most of your catamaran.

So, take the time to consider the different options and see what daggerboards can do for you.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

SEAWIND 1600

The 1600 passagemaker reflects our aspiration to create the ideal cruiser in every aspect: this is the ultimate offshore cruising catamaran., pointing ability & shallow draft, the ultimate offshore cruising catamaran.

Captive daggerboards, which don’t protrude through the deck, reduce maintenance and keep a clean deck that could otherwise prove hazardous offshore. Keeping these large foils captive also prevents windage aloft which can cause a catamaran at anchor to swing and swerve about her mooring. This approach conveniently maintains the aesthetic of the stunning Reichel Pugh design. The daggerboard lifting mechanism is run to a dedicated control in the cockpit, so there’s no need to rush forward and then cross the boat to raise the boards.

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Comfort and performance are a trade-off discussed endlessly. The Seawind 1600 Passagemaker strikes this balance through the use of advanced build technologies and continuous weight-saving efforts. Strategically placed carbon fiber reinforcements throughout the structure, Kevlar reinforcement under the waterline and revolutionary daggerboard integration not only make the Seawind 1600 Passagemaker an extremely stiff and fast catamaran, but also gives her the beach ability that so many Seawind catamarans are renown for.

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Through the use of Kevlar reinforced hulls with retracting daggerboards and rudders, the Seawind 1600 Passagemaker is safe on a sandy shoal. The minimum draft (with daggerboards and rudders up) is only 54cm – or 2ft 1 inches. That means the Seawind 1600 Passagemaker can enter protected anchorages and waterways inaccessible to almost any other cruiser on the market today.

Designed for extended ocean crossings, the Seawind 1600 Passagemaker has all of the cruising practicality you would expect from a new Seawind catamaran, but delivered on long and fast performance hulls.

High aspect deep retracting rudders and daggerboards offer performance and practicality - this catamaran sailboat tacks easily and is a nimble performer, but has a minimum draft of only 54cm with the foils raised.

At 52 foot, this Reichel Pugh designed performance cruiser offers sailors a true sailing experience whilst not sacrificing on safety or comfort. The Seawind 1600 Passagemaker has proven to be a world class catamaran capable of being sailed anywhere, by anyone.

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This is where the worlds of racing and cruising multis meet, where we see high-tech lightweight craft that use exotic materials and daggerboards to help produce electrifying sailing. Gunboat was arguably the first to identify this market on a luxury level, and has since been joined by HH, McConaghy, Ice Cat, and ITA.

And then there are the performance multis that are more minimalist and lean more towards the offshore racer than cruiser – like Marsaudon, Dragonfly, Banuls, Dazcat, and Rapido… fun factor guaranteed!

Just launched: McConaghy MC50

Fresh from the Australian composite wizards McConaghy, the MC50 is the smallest series catamaran in a new range that runs up to 90ft. Drawn by Jason Ker, renowned for his IRC winners, the MC50 has performance in her DNA, designed as a fast cruising cat, capable of crossing oceans. The MC line has incorporated input of experienced owners and sailors, and includes some impressive features. For example, the doors between the saloon and the cockpit concertina, while the saloon windows slide open electrically for al-fresco living. A skylight down the middle of the coachroof lets light flood in, and can be specced as a large ‘solar glass’ generator to keep batteries topped up. Then there is the standard cross brace between the bows, which has been eliminated by using a carbon fibre longeron down the boat’s centreline, tensioned with Nitronic rod stays. The first hull launched in time for La Grande Motte boatshow in April and the performance predictions are bold. Polars from McConaghy suggest speeds of over 10 knots in a stiff Force 6, at 30° off the true wind. Bear away onto a broad reach and she is expected to manage 21 knots-plus. Upwind performance is boosted by 3.5m-deep hydraulic daggerboards in each hull, which include a fail-safe in the event of underwater collision.  “We expect her to track upwind extremely well,” says James Kinloch  of McConaghy. And yet this is no pared-down raceboat. The saloon has deep seating to starboard and an extending table gives dining space for at least eight, and can convert into lounging room if you drop the table and install the fill-in cushion. The galley and island unit to port are more penthouse than deckhouse, with induction hob and moulded-in sinks. Sensibly, there is a navigation station at the forward end of the saloon, with good visibility ahead and access to all the systems. The styling was undertaken by Design Unlimited. “The concept was to create a penthouse apartment on the living deck,” says Ole John, director of McConaghy Multihulls Europe.  “The 35-40m2 of space must be the biggest for a 50ft yacht.”

First impressions

The MC50 is a clever boat. A Ker/McConaghy project, it might be expected to be all about the performance. That has yet to be proved, but the first MC50 to launch stole the show at its La Grande Motte debut in April thanks to the sheer amount of open-plan living space it offers. The natural light and ventilation offered by using sliding doors and windows needs to be seen to be believed, and the general feeling is that of a condo/apartment on the main deck. The view from the helms on the aft flybridge is excellent, but I wonder how these relatively high positions will feel in a rolling sea. The most impressive aspect for me, however, is the engineering detail, something Ker is known for. It can be seen in the length to which he and the yard has gone with the mast base and bowsprit longeron supports, and the hydraulic centreboards that swing into the hulls. The latter offer a clever solution to the problem of providing the performance benefits of 3.5m-deep boards without swallowing excessive accommodation space. The boards have fail-safe pins that break in a collision without  risk of leaking hydraulic fluid; and they take just 12 seconds to raise. This is a boat that we are itching to sail.

At a glance…

LOA: 49ft 10in (15.20m) Beam: 26ft 3in (8.00m) Draught: 3ft 3in – 8ft 10in (1.00m – 2.70m) Displacement: 14.5 tonnes Price: from €1.33m Contact: McConaghy

Just launched: ICE Cat 61

Italy’s ICE Yachts has been on the scene since the turn of the millennium, but it is only now making a foray into multihulls. And it is starting big, with a 61, and a 67 further down the line. Its calling card has always been style at the service of performance, and the cats will be no different. Enrico Contreas has designed a dashing hull with just a hint of reverse bow and a long, curved quarter. It’s stylish, but also practical. “Avoiding highly reversed bows allows for easy recovery of the mooring lines,” says Marco Malgara, ICE Yachts’ CEO. Likewise, the shallow curve of the coachroof is more than just a flick of the designer’s pen: it is intended to reduce windage and help the catamaran go to windward. This is one reason that she can reportedly manage near 30° true wind angles. Another is the manually-operated carbon foils that reduce her displacement by about 15 per cent, and the way the rig is designed. “The angle going to windward is almost like a monohull,” Malgara says.

The yachts are built using ultra-modern techniques. On the standard version, the hull and superstructure employ a mix of glass and carbon fibre vacuum-infused with epoxy to ensure that just 35-40 per cent of the final weight is resin. Everything on the boat is foam-cored. Customers have so far unanimously opted for the RS version of the 61, which uses all carbon fibre. ICE has tried to mitigate the handling of a large, technical boat with electric winches and a self-tacking jib. The sheets of both sails are on travellers, giving maximum sail trimming options and a tighter sheeting angle for better windward performance. The helms are towards the aft end of the cockpit, behind a pod-like console, giving the skipper more the sense of a monohull. Dispensing with a raised helm station keeps the boom and the centre of gravity low, making for a more comfortable ride and better performance, predicted at 25 knots. The interior is more architectural than your average luxury yacht. Expect more of a kitchen than a galley in the large open space of the saloon. The configuration allows for three, four or five cabins, including a compact crew berth in the starboard bow.

At a glance…

LOA: 61ft (18.60m) Beam: 28ft 3in (8.60m) Draught: 3ft 3in (1.00m) Displacement: 15 tonnes Price: From €1.35m Contact: Ice Yachts

Coming up: HH50

HH Catamarans has been turning heads since 2012 with a line of sporty, high-tech boats that feature a luxury fit-out. What started off on the drawing board as a fast 48ft cruising cat has grown to 50ft in the building. “One of the biggest reasons was  the addition of a second helm station aft,” explained marketing manager  Will Hobbs. “That and, during the design review, we found we were able to increase sail efficiency by 6 per cent if we lengthened the hull.” The lay-up is all carbon, with twin bulkhead helm stations and long-skirted hulls. With a self-tacking jib and push-button controls at the helm station, she should be a breeze to sail short-handed. Her accommodation all looks very elegant – dark teak contrasting with lighter fabrics. The saloon windows are huge, letting light gush in, with a semi-horseshoe galley to starboard, a navstation forward and dining table to port. There are configurations allowing for three or four cabins. Morelli & Melvin’s design generally looks modern and aggressive (even if we question the aesthetics of the hard biminis above the helms).

LOA: 49ft 10in (15.20m) Beam: 24ft 4in (7.44m) Draught: 4ft 11in-10ft 6in (1.50m-3.20m) Displacement: 15 tonnes Price: Tbc Contact: HH Catamarans

Just launched: Marsaudon TS5

Even if you haven’t heard of Marsaudon, you’re likely to be familiar with its work. The Brittany-based boatbuilder is responsible for some of the world’s biggest and fastest multihulls, including the trimaran IDEC 2, in which Francis Joyon demolished the round-the-world record in 2008. Operating out of an old U-boat pen in Lorient, France, this composite expert has only been crafting its own brand of cruising catamarans for a few years, but it has already become its mainstay. It began with the TS42, which has reached 10 units, then the well-regarded TS50. The new TS5 is a remodelled version of this, with all-new tooling and a length overall of 55ft. Even before the first one hit the water, half a dozen boats had been pre-sold, such is the reputation of this builder.

LOA: 49ft 10in (15.20m) Beam: 28ft 3in (8.60m) Draught: 3ft 11in-9ft 10in (1.20m-3.00m) Displacement: 8.6 tonnes Price: from €620,000 Contact: Marsdon Composites

Coming up: ITA 14.99

ITA Catamarans is a new brand, but the team behind this 14.99 are no strangers to the trade and have experience from many of the major Italian shipyards. The naval architecture is by Francois Perus, whose Yacht Design Collective has worked with brands such as Catana and North Wind on their multihulls. The result is a sleek-looking craft with stylish dreadnought bows and refreshingly low-profile coachroof. This sets the tone for the boat, due to launch this summer, which is all about stellar performance within the envelope of a fast cruiser. Take the twin helm stations, for instance – they are perched on the aft coaming. This frees up the cockpit for socialising, without compromising the boat’s stability by putting the weight  of the helm on the coachroof. The result looks as if it could feel exposed in bad weather, although there is a wraparound seat, and the Jefa pedestal can swing inboard if necessary. The outer position gives you optimal views ahead and to windward. The dreadnought bows are designed to give extra waterline length for speed, while the long, fine underwater profile of the hulls is optimised for comfort through the waves. The flatter sections aft mean that she should plane at speed, and the winch-trimmed daggerboards improve performance to windward. High-tech foam sandwich lay-up and the use of carbon fibre in key areas keeps the hulls light and stiff.

There should be plenty of power from her fathead main and self-tacking jib. “Since most cruisers consists of one couple for sailing, the deck and running rigging had to be of a design so that one person can easily manage all sailing manoeuvres from the safety of the cockpit,” says Sonia Segato, head of marketing at ITA Catamarans. The mainsheet runs back to blocks on the aft crossbeam, where Harken 50 winches are within easy reach of the helm. It is a set-up that has worked well for monohull sailors, and this boat’s low profile coachroof makes it possible here too. The designer’s ambition is clearly bluewater, because the boat’s equipment and latest technology includes a Schenker watermaker and Oceanvolt electric propulsion, backed up with twin regenerating props that allow you to recharge the lithium-ion batteries as you sail. There’s scope for owners to choose their own interior design. “Nothing is set in stone”, says ITA. The heart of the boat is its comfy saloon, which has wraparound toughened glass windows, and the starboard hull is turned over to the owner’s suite. There are several configurations to choose from, including one with an office and another with bunks. Weight management is taken very seriously. The complete hulls weigh 2,250kg, and the whole boat is infused in one shot to come in under five tonnes. The first 14.99 will be shown  at Cannes, before the owner takes it  on a circumnavigation.

LOA: 49ft 2in (14.99m) Beam: 25ft 7in (7.80m) Draught: 1ft 10in-7ft 8in (0.57m-2.35m) Displacement: 14.5 tonnes Price: €890,000 Contact: Itacatamarans

Coming up: Gunboat 68

Gunboat is back to what it does best with a show-stopping design for a 68ft oceanic catamaran. An all-carbon build again, the new 68 has heavily reversed wave-piercing bows and super low-profile coachroof, giving it an elegant but muscular look. There’s something of Gotham City about this yacht. Gunboat, which is now under French ownership, has brought in VPLP design for the naval architecture. They are veterans of some of the world’s biggest, fastest racing multihulls. The design team has broadened the beam of the boat and moved the mast further aft to make her more stable and easier to handle. That said, she’ll be no slouch, particularly if you select some of the turbo options, including longer rig for bigger sails, lighter weight and longer daggerboards. Speeds in excess of 25 knots in a blow, and up to 16 knots in a Force 4 are predicted. Benoit Lebizay, Gunboat’s managing partner, says: “500 miles per day is an achievable target”.

LOA: 68ft (20.75m) Beam: 29ft 11in (9.1m) Draught: 3ft 11in-13ft 6in (1.20m-4.10m) Displacement: 23.8 tonnes Price: from €4.75m Contact: Gunboat

Best of the rest:

Unlimited yacht c53.

Vittorio Malingri, Italy’s first Vendée Globe sailor, is the nautical brain behind a new fast cruising catamaran, christened the Unlimited C53. With no website, his is a stealthy operation, but the first hull is sold and already in-build on the Adriatic coast between Ancona and San Marino. The boat has been designed with an experienced navigator’s eye, so the beams connecting the two hulls are an unprecedented 1.3m above the waterline, to minimise slamming in heavy seas. Tankage and heavy equipment are all positioned low and in the centre of the hulls for balance. And there is a heavy longeron, which makes for a stiffer forestay and therefore better windward performance. The twin helms are on swinging pedestals, and the boat uses foils and T-shaped rudders to provide lift to windward. There are three broad specification levels, depending on budget, with the top spec including full carbon lay-up.

Dazcat D1295

Launched at the end of last season, the D1295 is a potent new addition to the cruiser-racer cat market. It is the smaller sister to the very impressive D1495 we tested two years ago and  leans on more than three decades of successful  offshore racing builds from this Cornish yard. These cats can outrun weather or look after  crew if caught out. Weight is kept low and central, including the engines, to create a fast smooth ride. It is also minimised wherever possible, with carbon used for the rudders, spinnaker pole V-striker, davits and bimini sections. “She points really high and is the fastest tacking Dazcat so far,” says Dazcat designer Darren Newton. “We did a two-second tack where she lost no momentum at all, which for a cruising cat is phenomenal!”

Daggerboards

The majority of today's cruising catamarans are equipped with mini keels for reliable and hassle-free operation. There are fewer than a handful of production daggerboard catamarans, which provide the sailor slightly more pointing ability and other advantages as illustrated in previous chapters. Their operation is generally straightforward via either a single uphaul line in case the board is heavier than water, or by an additional downhaul to keep the foil lowered, in case it is more buoyant.

Needless to say, when trying to point as high as possible, the leeward board should be fully deployed. The finer the hulls of the catamaran and deeper the foils are, the more they will contribute to getting the multihull to windward. In very rough conditions, when the boat will be thrown around by wind and waves, it is a good idea to divide the loads between both boards and only let them halfway down.

Marking the daggerboards at deck level will help indicate a "control" depth and assist in judging when they will be extending deeper than the rudders and thus aid in protecing them in case of a collision.

For a more detailed description of daggerboards and their use, please refer to the "Appendages" chapter.

Continue reading here: Tacking

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Catamaran Daggerboards and Keels – Woods Interview # 9

Post author By Diane Selkirk
Post date March 27, 2021
No Comments on Catamaran Daggerboards and Keels – Woods Interview # 9

I am with Richard Woods, and we are talking about catamarans. He’s a legendary catamaran designer and experienced catamaran sailor of many different designs. This is one of several interviews we’re having on different topics. Today, we’re talking about daggerboards versus keels. Richard will tell us a little bit about how daggerboards work, how keels work, and what some of the benefits of each are.

For more from Richard Woods, please go to his website .

Richard, can you start off with what dagger boards and keels do for a boat?

There’s the three basic ways of preventing leeway, which is what you’re going to be doing with a multihull. On a monohull you’ve got the keel. Essentially, it’s for stability to balance the heeling, to stop the boat heeling too much. You don’t have that as a problem on a multihull. You are just trying to stop leeway.

You can do it either with using the hull shape, which would be like a Catalac or Wharram catamaran. Then the next would be to have keels. The third would be to have daggerboards.

You could essentially say that a catamaran with keels is a bit like a long-keel monohull, and the daggerboard catamaran is a fin keel monohull in more terms. I think we all know and all agree that the best sailing boats are going to be the one with fin keels. Then progressively a long-keel boat or keel or one with low aspect-ratio keels on the catamaran, that would be the next best. Then the one relying just on hull shape, whether it’s a test barge or a Catalac is going to be the the least good.

There’s two things on that. One is that the daggerboard prevents leeway better, but also prevention of or reduction of pitching, increasing potential top speed. You want to have buoyancy at the ends of the boat and not in the middle. You imagine a diamond shape sailing to windward, and it pitches up and down, up and down, and you end up hobby-horsing. Whereas a boat with fuller ends isn’t going to do that. Unfortunately, the thing with their keels, is that the buoyancy is more in the middle of the boat.

So there’s the two factors: one is the the sea kindliness of having daggerboards, and the other is the better performance.

A daggerboarded boat is always better, but it does have some disadvantages. The main one is that if you want to beach your boat or dry it out. To me, that’s always a major advantage of a multihull. You got to be able to have lifting rudders, and essentially, you don’t want your propeller to be the deepest part of the boat, or if you’ve got an inboard engine.

The daggerboarded boats work really well when you’ve got outboard engines and when you’ve got tiller steering, because it makes it easier to get the rudders. It is still possible on bigger boats and you can also have a bit of a compromise of having a small keel, and then the daggerboard. Or you can have like your boat was, which had daggerboards in the lead hull, so you didn’t need to lift the rudders. The rudders are still higher than the bottom of the keel.

Although there’s a lot of places in the world where you don’t have to beach the boat, the most obvious to say: the Great Lakes in North America, Florida, the Bahamas, most of the Caribbean in fact, you don’t have to. The Mediterranean. They don’t have tides and so you’re not in the beach.

I’ll just show you this. I’m just going to turn the camera around a bit now. As you can see, this is our house now. In fact, it’s low water and we have about an 18-foot tidal rise, so that’s more than you. It actually is neat, so it goes up quite a bit further. But we are used to drying out for six hours a day, every day when we moor our boats. So for us, it’s much more important to have good protection for the bottom of the boat.

If you’re sailing in Florida and then you sail up to say, Cape Maine, you suddenly get to the box and you get this 10, 12-foot tide, and you do want to go around, either deliberately or what not. With daggerboarded boats, you’ve got to think about a lot more when you’re beaching a boat.

The interior room, you might think that was a problem. But usually you can make the daggerboard, say, fit around the side of a heads compartment, or the galley worktop, or something like that, so it’s never really a problem. You can have the dagger board on the inside or the outside of the hull, it doesn’t seem to make much of a problem either.

But the other thing is that the daggerboards are more expensive to make because you’ve got to make the daggerboard case, which is in effect, same as making a keel. Then the daggerboard and then the controls for the daggerboard, so that all adds to cost and complication.

And there’s definitely a learning curve to knowing how to use the daggerboard effectively, and have that experience. So are they less of a beginner kind of attribute on a catamaran and more of a somebody who’s been sailing for a while?

Yes. There’s no point really, in having daggerboards if you’re not going to use them. Essentially, that means having them in simplest, both down sailing to windward, and then lift the leeboard when you’re reaching, and lift both when you’re sailing downwind. That’s the normal.

But you can have the position of, if you’re sailing in big seas, especially big quartering sea downwind, the tail wags the dog. In other words, the rudder steers, and it’s not actually doing anything, because there’s no hull in the water. Then, it makes it a lot easier having the daggerboards both half down.

So yes, you learn quite quickly how your boat behaves according to whether the daggerboards are up or down.

The other thing that I found, is that a lot of people, when they break a daggerboard, it tends to be the lead daggerboard that breaks. When you’re sailing, that’s the side that gets powered up when you’re pushing down on being hit by a wave, and pushing sideways tends to break the daggerboard.

Of course the other thing is, it’s quite a good ultimate echo sounder. We have never actually broken a daggerboard, on any boat, I don’t think. When we were, this is a good excuse because it was an unmarked reef, but we were sailing off Nicaragua, and we were sailing at eight knots. We hit a reef with the daggerboard and the boat stopped dead. In fact, my wife fell over. It was driving a car at 10 miles an hour into a wall, sort of effect, and once we sorted ourselves out, and we lifted the daggerboard, we lost about the trailing edge, about a foot by four inches being totally destroyed. We had a mill u-volt, a 5/16th u-volt, as an up haul, and that was bent completely flat by the force of the boat stopping.

I guess it was a sacrificial item!

We still sailed.

Right. That’s what I’m thinking. Rather than hitting the reef with your boat, you hit it with something sacrificial. They can be expensive to replace, but…

Yes. We didn’t hit it with the boat, no. We hit it with something that we could carry on for another three months before we actually had it taken out of the boat and repaired.

Of course, that’s always something. If you can take the broken bit to the mechanic, or to the boat yard, that’s always better than doing it the other way around. Usually, you can carry on sailing with one daggerboard or two half-daggerboards, whatever, but it is quite a common problem.

As I say, if you’ve got a conventional inboard engine with fixed rudders, there are quite a lot of multihulls around, even here, but they’re treated like monohulls. You can’t, for example, go to the Scilly Isles and go to Hawaii, and Green Bay, which is a wonderful place to spend a lifetime, really. It’s the nearest the equivalent of going into the Bahamas. But you can’t do that if you’ve got a boat you can’t dry out.

I guess that’s why multihulls became so much more popular in the UK before other places.

Everything in design, it’s always interconnected. Going back to the comfort, and the rolling. If you look at the Scilly Isles, which are 30 miles off the Southwest corner of England, sort of like saying you’re going out of Miami, and there’s the Bahamas. It’s not quite that far, but it’s pretty near the same as going to Bimini.

There’s a whole stack of islands, but the pilot guide says there is no safe anchorage, because it was written by a monohull sailor. We’ve been and they say, “You know, if you go into this anchorage, then you’re going to be as protected as you can be.” We’ve been into those anchorages, and they’ve been horrible, because you’re open to when the tide’s in. You’re open to the ocean because when they’re out, it’s out in the Atlantic. When you can dry out, you go onto these lovely sandy beaches, and you can dry out and you’re safe then.

Well that’s cool. So thank you Richard, that was fascinating on daggerboards and keels.

Tags Buying Advice , Richard Woods

By Diane Selkirk

I love to travel and have spent the past seven years sailing with my family aboard our 40 Woods Meander catamaran - traveling from B.C.'s north coast, to the west coast of the US, Mexico, the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, across the Indian Ocean to South Africa and on to St Helena, South America, the Caribbean and Central America.

Light Construction

Carbon and epoxy have been used to build as strong and stiff a yacht as possible while minimising the weight.

All of the lines run under the decks, so you have clear walkways around the boat. Stanchions are 900mm tall and a continuous, unbroken toe rail runs the length of the deck with all hull and deck joints fused and hidden.

Living Space

Moving inside, you’ll notice that the aft cockpit and salon forms one fully protected space with a large sofa on the aft beam and her closed transoms make this a safe family boat.

The angular cabin has two large, forward-facing windows that open fully from the the generously sized (187 sq ft or 17.4m2) salon. The standing height is over 2m (6’6”) high throughout.

One of the things that sets the HH44 apart from her competition is the quality of the finish on this semi-custom yacht. She has foam core furniture and exceptional joinery throughout, and Bosch electric appliances as standard.

There are two options for a BBQ, one which replaces the aft sofa with a large LPG BBQ & Dive Tank station or you can mount an LPG Grill in the aft fishing rod holder, keeping the aft sofa. There is an outlet on the aft beam so you can run an electric BBQ.

In the salon, there is an L-shaped sofa with a table forward to starboard and a large nav station/workstation to port.

Tuck yourself into the U-shaped galley behind the nav station or pull out some cold ones from the fridge on the starboard side. The ventilation at anchor is excellent with those huge forward windows.

The starboard hull is the owner’s side and consists of the master cabin aft and a walk-in shower and head forward. The finish has an Italian feel to it and it is very light down here with a large window aft in the owner’s cabin.

This is a 44 foot performance cat, so there is not as much room down her as you’d find in a cruising cat, but she has ample space in the aft cabin and the storage is well organised.

HH offers three different forward cabin combinations. One is the standard layout with a single berth.

The second has a Pullman berth above the standard bed that folds away when not needed.

A third option does away with the beds and replaces them with a large work bench with shelves (for pantry storage or tools) and an extra Fridge/Freezer unit.

If you go for the option with the EcoDrive, the House Bank is powerful enough to run the A/C overnight without the need to run a generator. There is enough power to run the A/C in the master cabin for over three days.

EcoDrive, her Electric/Diesel Parallel Hybrid System The HH44 was designed from scratch to work with a parallel electric/diesel hybrid, with a minimum of 4,232W of peak solar array on the cabin top and hydro-regeneration while sailing.

EcoDrive gives you silent fume-free motoring at 7.5kts, fast torque for manoeuvring, and hydro-regeneration while sailing. Plus you have parallel, trusty diesel engines for safety.

A diesel engine is paired with a large electric motor, much like an alternator sits on a traditional diesel engine. A belt links the two units and a camshaft allows you to flip between the two power systems, giving you good redundancy. And remember, you have 2 of these systems on board!

The system is designed to offer from 1.5 to 3 hours of electric propulsion: more than enough time to exit the marina or anchorage and hoist the sails.

This boat has been designed to get sailing in light winds which ultimately is the key to an eco-friendly sailing yacht. And you will be recharging your batteries as you sail.

You can also fit the HH44 with traditional standalone diesel engines with shaft drives.

The HH44 is an innovative design that will appeal to sailors setting out across long distances who want to sail more and beat well to windward when needed. This yacht is in a different price league to something like an Aventura 37 of course, but there are two options here: the Sports Cruising and the Ocean Cruising models.

She’s a comfortable boat, although there is a trade-off on space down below particularly in the forward cabins.

With the EcoDrive option and a bow locker full of sails, you’ll be able to minimise your diesel usage on this boat while crossing oceans safely and quickly.

What is the price of an HH44? How much do they cost? The sportier HH44-SC starts at $1,325,000. Meanwhile the HH44-OC version starts at $957,000 USD. The total cost will vary depending on your options, but you should budget an additional $300k, perhaps more for the SC.

How much solar is there on the HH44? The HH44 has a generous 4,232W of peak solar as standard on the SC on the cabin top. You can fit 1,200W watts over the Davits, but this comes with a weight penalty.

What is the length of the boat with transoms up? With the transoms up, the LOA from davits to Bow Sprit is 14.23m (46.68 feet), so fine for a 15m berth.

What size tender can you carry? The optimum sized tender is 3-3.5m (10-11 foot). The davits are carbon fibre and will soak up a high load.

Technical Specification

D/L	111.5
Mainsail	72.4m2 / 779sqft.
SA/D	26.3
Power	2 x 30HP+10kW hybrid
Draft (Boards up)	0.7m / 2.5'
Beam	7.15m / 23.46'
Solent	44.1m2 / 475sqft
Gennaker	148.9m2 / 1603sqft
Staysail	23.9m2 / 257sqft
Bridgedeck	825mm / 2.7'
SA/D*	26.3
Displ. Light	10.2 T / 22,487 lbs
Reacher	84.8m2 / 913sqft
Disp. Max	14.5 T / 31,967 lbs
LOA	15.31m / 50.2'
LWL	13.37m / 43.86
Draft Boards Dn	3m / 9.84'

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Which catamarans have daggerboards?

After researching catamarans we have made a list of catamarans with daggerboards. Performance means a great deal for us, so we are looking at the pros and cons of daggerboards, and would like to share our knowledge in this article. If you know of any boats that should be included in this article, please let us know.

Why choose a catamaran with daggerboards?

Daggerboard catamarans are usually higher performing than those without. Not only because of the daggerboard itself but due to the specific focus on performance especially in these types of vessels.

Usually, that focus also makes them lighter as the shipyards have tweaked the materials used to make them light. Often they are designed by the most renowned experts to make the best hulls.

The most important reason to choose daggerboards is performance. They sail closer to the wind when sailing upwind, and they are usually faster than those who focus more on comfort.

Not that daggerboard cats are uncomfortable, but the daggerboard compartment takes up a bit of space from the living area inside the hulls. And you will have to decide if it is worth the decrease in comfort compared to the enhanced performance.

Another reason for choosing daggerboards is the possibility to anchor on shallow waters, as when the daggers are lifted, the draught is often around 3’ or 1 meter or even less.

Catamarans with daggerboards

A list of catamaran models with daggerboards:

Sud Composites
Soubise / Freydis – Tournier Marine

French-built catamaran. Well sailing and luxurious.

Also French catamaran. Reviews are pretty good. Easy sailed.

Brazilian built catamaran from 2013. Only this model has daggerboards.

designer Philipe Pouvreau. 30 of them were built before 2008, and after that, a dozen more were built in various custom shipyards. One should therefore be aware of eventual modifications or deviations in the design of the later models.

But the quality is still great, also on the late models, and they have successfully circumnavigated, and are still.

Founded by Alan Adés in 1990, and in 1999 they signed with VLPL, a group of Architects who specialized in multi-hull designs for the competition.

This resulted in the Switch 51, a very well-performing catamaran, which amongst others are known for very decent speed in even moderate wind speeds. They did however not build that many, before switching to building custom catamarans.

Three main models, are still in production:

Soubise 49 Croiseur Soubise 56 Soubise 70

Is not very well known, 27 feet

Scionning Known to be very high performance.

Benefits of having daggerboards on a catamaran

High performance (speed and efficiency in various wind directions. Especially in upwind directions.)

Can utilize shallow waters, with the boards raised. Typically 3 feet or even less, which means that you can anchor away from the crowd and walk ashore.

Generally, you will have much more anchorage space to choose between.

Disadvantages of daggerboards

More work, more to know and learn, their place in the boat may limit the comfort.

Costly. Adds around 30.000 $ to the construction price.

Why choose daggerboards over fixed keel?

The choice of having daggerboards is mostly a compromise between comfort and performance. Daggerboards make the cat able to sail closer upwind, and the boards are made to enhance the speed.

Boats with fixed keels are sometimes slower, usually also heavier, but also more comfortable, as they have more living space. And if you are sailing short passages, the heavy boat is a good choice.

But if you are going to cross the oceans, the difference in performance is remarkable. It can be several weeks longer crossings compared to higher performing cats.

Daggerboards are for sailors who expect to make longer passages, and who have some experience sailing.

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How We Do: Daggerboards

“HOW WE DO…”

A NEW TECHNICAL SERIES IN WHICH HH CATAMARANS CHIEF OF OPERATIONS PAUL HAKES WILL TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT DESIGN AND BUILD ELEMENTS THAT MAKE AN HH SO VERY SPECIAL. IN THIS ISSUE PAUL DISCUSSES DAGGERBOARDS:

How strong is an HH daggerboard?

Daggerboards add performance to a catamaran. In doing so they are subject to incredible side forces to stop the boat slipping to leeward and providing lift. A straight daggerboard not only stops leeward slippage but also provides lift to windward because the water flowing over the board has a high pressure and low pressure side, much like an airplane wing. This, in turn, allows you to sail at a higher upwind angle. In the case of a curved daggerboard not only do we get windward lift, we also get upwards lift which effectively reduces the displacement of the boat. The result yet again is higher performance, and the faster the boat moves through the water the greater the lift. In the case of the HH66, with standard curved boards at 20 knots, which is commonly achieved in 20 knots of wind, the upward lift is around 15-20% of the boat’s displacement. That’s approaching 3,600kg of upward lift! Sailing at this speed we could well be flying a hull, and so the entire righting moment of the boat is now leaning against the leeward board. Again, on an HH66 at this speed that’s over 5,000kg. When you start reefing the mainsail the center of effort in the sail plan is lowered, therefore the amount of side force necessary to fly a hull is even greater. In fact now the daggerboard loads are getting scary, but hopefully the ride is still fun!

Owners of nearly all makes of catamarans are asked to start lifting the leeward daggerboard when reefing or hull flying, it is part of your Owner’s Manual, because they break otherwise. Not with HH Catamarans, these are full grown catamarans designed to deliver the performance you are seeking whatever the conditions (within reason). So not only is your HH66 daggerboard hanging 3.5m below the water, it can safely handle hull flying loads with two reefs in the mainsail. This is the standard set for the HH55 and the HH50 too. Our engineers and any competent Naval Architect can calculate the righting moment to ‘hull fly’, and therefore can determine the load on the daggerboard, same for Reef 1 and Reef 2. Furthermore it often times gets wavy in the sea, and at these speeds our catamarans can start leaping off the waves. This motion creates ‘dynamic loads’ on the boards (boat and rig too). Engineers are hard pushed to understand and predict dynamic loads, so they typically take a known full working load and double it to allow for the ‘dynamic load’. As we do not want our board to break with dynamic loads, even with a 2x safety factor over maximum known working load, we then double the load again to determine the breaking load. For our HH66 the result is a board that has a full working load flying a hull with two reefs at 8,500kg, and a breaking load of 34tons! We apply the same standards to the 55 and 50 sister ships.

You may ask, how can we be so sure? We test. Every single HH Catamaran daggerboard goes into our monster testing jig and we apply the full force of the known working load to fly a hull with two reefs and the two times “dynamic load factor”. So, an HH66 board gets tested to a staggering 17,000kg, which is really scary. Even with our new HH50, the boards are tested all the way to 10 tons. As the load is applied, we can also measure the deflection to ensure this too matches design.

Dealing With Covid-19

Hh50 owner testimonial.

DESIGN TOPICS
Daggerboards vs. Fixed Keels

Daggerboards or Mini Keels for Catamarans?

Comparing fixed keels and daggerboards.

Fin keels, fixed keels, minikeels, skegs. Call them what you like, we know what you’re talking about. Choosing between fixed keels and daggerboards is probably one of the most debated options for a cruising boat and a difficult decision for a first time boat builder or purchaser. There’s no doubt high aspect ratio daggers give the optimum lift to windward and quicker tacking, but how significant is the downside of going to fixed keels, and are there significant disadvantages to living with daggerboards?

Fixed keels often get a bad rap. But it’s largely because there’s a lot of fixed keels out there that aren’t well designed. Poor section shapes and too shallow are the main problems.

Not all fixed keels are created equal, and because fixed keels by nature have a lower aspect ratio than a daggerboard, the foil section and planform (side view) selection are critical to minimise the tip loss - or the flow that runs under the keel and reduces the lift which provides windward ability. Obviously a relatively deep keel of moderate length will develop more lift than a long shallow keel, and this can be further improved by fitting an end plate to the base of the keel.

Construction Time and Cost

The dagger and dagger case combination probably take a little longer to manufacture and install and you will need to use carbon in the spar caps, but otherwise there is no significant difference in materials costs.

However for daggerboards you do need to pay particular attention to the hull to dagger case bonding areas which need to be de-cored and strongly reinforced. Also there is the additional hardware involved in the controls required for daggerboards, and a little extra deck clutter.

Asymmetric boards? These are totally inappropriate on a cruising cat in my view. With asymmetric boards the windward boards should ideally be lifted each time you tack or it will be causing drag. This means each board needs to be larger to get the same lift. An unnecessary complication for a minimal difference in performance on a cruising boat.

Building Implications

The keels are at a disadvantage here in that the building space will require 500mm or more of roof height if they are attached to the hulls at the start of the project. This also means more climbing and more scaffolding to work on the boat. One option here is to fit the keels and glass tape them to the hulls after the boat is extracted from the building space and lifted to the required height.

Performance Comparison

The difference in windward performance between fixed keels and daggerboards on cruising cats varies depending on the conditions. In very light airs the daggerboards have a clear advantage, providing reduced wetted area and greater lift at angles of attack where a large percentage of the fixed keel’s area is likely to be suffering from flow separation. The boat with a fixed keel is likely to point nearly as high as one with dagger boards, but will lose ground though increased leeway.

As the wind strength increases the fixed keels will typically operate much more efficiently and from personal experience the difference in performance between two similar cats -one with efficient fixed keels, the other with daggers - is minimal in 10 knots or more of breeze, and negligible in 15 knots and above.

The boat with the fixed keel might be expected to suffer more friction drag downwind due to increased wetted area, but once again from personal experience this disadvantage is only clearly evident in light airs.

Other Factors

Most of the cruising boats I have designed have been fitted with fixed keels - even though an option for dagger boards is provided in the plans. This is mainly because of the advantage of being able to dry the boat out on the beach with the hull bottom easily accessible for cleaning, but also for the protection the keel provides to the rudder and sail drive leg.

These factors don’t rule out dagger boards - most boats will sit on the hull bottom and the rudder without suffering damage to the rudder stock - however I do recommend that the dagger board, if fitted has a restraining strap or line which can be released to prevent the board being raised above the height of the rudder tip or sail drive leg when sailing.

Keep in mind that with fixed keels you will have less draft than a boat sailing with the boards fully down so the chance of a grounding is increased with daggers, and because the fixed keel has an angled entry profile it is less subject to damage from a sudden collision. Dagger boards take very high loadings and cedar and glass construction is generally more forgiving than amateur composite construction.

Daggerboards can be noisy inside the case, both when raised or lowered. This problem can be minimised with soft bearings at the top and bottom inside the case (synthetic grass or carpet) but is not always easy to completely avoid.

On a boat any bigger than about ten or eleven metres the daggerboards are a big chunk of stuff and can be difficult to raise and remove from the boat for maintenance.

We sometimes hear the argument that fixed keels could cause the boat to trip and capsize sideways in a sea. In steep seas you're most likely to be running (possibly with a drogue) or laying to a sea anchor.

I've never heard of a cat tripping sideways over its' keels but please enlighten me if this has been the case.

Making the Decision

I generally recommend that daggerboards are a worthwhile investment if the owner has a preference for sailing to windward rather than motoring or waiting for a favourable breeze, and if the boat is going to be kept light enough to have a power to weight ratio that will do justice to the dagger board configuration.

As a rough guide I would suggest that a 40’ cat which had a sailing weight of six tonnes or less would benefit from dagger boards, while a relatively heavy cruising cat would gain very little benefit from the more efficient foils. On a 50’ cat the cut off point is probably about 10.5 to 11 tonnes.

Dagger boards should be at least partially raised when reaching at high speed, and the need to raise and lower the board at various times is an added complication that a lot of cruising people would prefer not to have.

Daggerboards do break from time to time. Until now I have not heard of a cat having a structural problem with fixed keels, except for one that was washed sideways across a coral reef and then mercilessly pounded by waves. In that case the keels may have provided some additional safety.

Generally speaking cruising cats with fixed keels are probably easier to resell than cats with daggerboards. If you’re finding it difficult to make the decision and you're not interested in racing then it’s likely that fixed keels are right for you.

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Daggerboards vs Centerboards

Collin Marshall - Kinetic Catamarans Commissioning Skipper and Sailing Systems Engineer, breaks down Centerboards vs Daggerboards. Kinetic has an option for either on the KC62 and KC54, owner preference.

What are the fundamental differences between centerboards and daggerboards?

Centerboards or “swing boards” rely on a pivot point at the top of the board allowing it to swing 90 degrees vertically and retract horizontally in a wet cavity built into the bilges in each hull, while daggerboards penetrate only vertically through bearing boxes in each hull. These deployment differences can dictate the shape of the boards thus changing the performance of the catamaran.

Centerboards Pros & Cons

Pros: There are plenty of reasons for choosing centerboards for you KC54 or KC62. One of the top pros is the safety factor for sure. Here at Kinetic Catamarans, our centerboards are driven by push button line drivers governed by proximity sensors. We have integrated “fuses” or a weak spot in the line holding the board down which would break upon grounding or hitting a submerged object. The boards are buoyant and would float back up into the case with minimal damage to the leading edge. An inspection is recommended if this scenario plays out however with easy access to the line drivers and a quick replacement of the fuse we are off and sailing again.

Cons: Centerboards although very safe do take a small performance reduction. Having the lateral resistance retract into a box built into the hull not only governs the shape of the board but also leaves an open cavity for water turbulence to occur, which can disturb the water flow down along the hull and over the rudder. Another performance hit occurs when you want only a percentage of your board down, the lateral resistance is reduced dramatically.

See illustration below for reference of the cavity outlined in red.

Daggerboards Pros & Cons

Pros: As a sailor when I hear the term “daggerboard” I think of performance. Daggerboards can vary in shape whether asymmetrical or even curved therefore increasing lift while sailing. Our daggerboards are also push-button line driven for easy handling, however, they retract into a much smaller bearing box oriented for vertical deployment thus reducing the disturbed water turbulence. If we struck the bottom or a submerged object with a daggerboard we could repair it by pulling the board out of the boat with a halyard.

Cons: The daggerboard does not have a safety fuse integrated into the line driver since they are vertically lifted. If a daggerboard struck an object it would endure the full impact force and transfer the load to the bearing box which would result in higher levels of damage to the board or even the boat. Daggerboards also require real estate in both port and starboard hulls penetrating into the cabins, therefore, reducing some hallway space or even cabin room.

See illustration below for reference of the reduced hallway space in both hulls:

Which is better for performance vs cruising?

If you are looking for maximum performance out of your KC then I would recommend daggerboards. However, these are 20+ knot catamarans with either setup so it really depends on the owner's goals and also the sailing destination. If I wanted to cruise the Bahamas which is notorious for shallow water then centerboards would be the safer choice, however, if I were to enter my catamaran in an ocean race then I would tend to lean more towards daggerboards.

Which one is better suited for shorthanded sailing?

I would not label either board option better for shorthanded sailing. We specifically design Kinetic Catamarans for shorthanded sailing with both board setups being push-button controlled.

Lastly, which is your preferred option and why?

I've had extensive experience with both foils and I must admit that the daggerboards do give the cat that extra performance gain. I've spent most of my career racing sailboats so I'm a bit biased towards performance. Most of us racers choose to sleep on wet sail bags in tight berths just to go a fraction faster, however for cruising I recommend centerboards mainly for the safety factor. Both options are incredibly high performance and easy handling for shorthanded sailing so it really is about the intent of the owner.

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Keels or Daggerboards, the pros and cons

When writing about foils (ie boards, keels and rudders) it is easy to baffle people by talking about lift to drag ratios, NACA sections, end plates, twist, stall, Karman vortices and all the rest. So I won't - it's probably best to leave all that to designers and hydrodynamacists Instead I'll try to help those who want to know the basics; like should they have keels or boards on their multihull?

I'm not just a multihull designer; I'm also a (home) boatbuilder and owner. Currently I own two catamarans, one with daggerboards and one with keels. Over the last 30 years I have owned five cruising catamarans with keels, nine with daggerboards and one with one centerboard. Furthermore, I am one of the few designers who has fitted LAR keels and boards to the same hull (on Strider, Sagitta and Banshee) and then sailed them against each other.

As with everything to do with yacht design, leeway prevention is a complex subject. And it is not helped by the fact that boats are not just for sailing. You load them down and treat them as a floating cottage when you live aboard them. You motor them, you dry them out (either when the tide goes out or when stored ashore in a boatyard). And you have to pay for it all.

===========================

First a bit of simple theory

The main factor determining the efficiency of a foil is its "Aspect Ratio" (AR) or the ratio of it's depth to width. I think we all know that a high aspect ratio foil is more "efficient" than one with a low aspect ratio. A 3:1 AR is generally considered ideal for rigs but is usually too high for foils. In fact a 1:1 AR is OK for keels, although 2:1 or a bit more is better. In other words, a 1.5m deep daggerboard on a 10m boat will be about 750mm fore/aft (or more properly called it's "chord"). And it will be about 75mm thick, as the thickness of a foil should be about 8-10% of the chord.

Despite the fact that high AR foils are more efficient, there are a couple of reasons for limiting AR. As the AR increases the chord decreases and so the foil becomes thinner and clearly it is then also weaker. Unfortunately the foil loads have gone up (because the deeper the foil the further the Centre of Lateral Resistance (CLR) is from the bottom of the hull, so the lever has lengthened). So long, narrow foils are more prone to damage (one reason all those monohull keels have snapped off - a J800 lost one just recently).

In addition, the higher the AR the easier it is to stall the foil. When a foil stalls it stops "working", this is most obvious after tacking in a sloppy sea and you find that the boat won't sail properly for a couple of boat lengths. That is because the foil has stalled. In other words, you have to be sailing in flat water and be a very attentive helmsman to avoid stalling a high AR foil.

The lower the AR the bigger the foils area has to be to compensate for the reduced efficiency, however a lower AR is more tolerant of shape, surface roughness and angle of attack (which basically makes it easier to sail)

So how big should a foil be? Roughly 4% of the sail area is a good starting point. Some designers use very small boards. That may be OK in theory, which says that you sail in flat water at maximum speed, but in practice I find you need a bigger board to cope with waves and slow sailing, never mind tacking in a lumpy sea.

Whilst on the dangers of too much theory. Many race boats use sophisticated shapes and low drag sections. Don't use them unless, like top racing boats, you also dry sail your boat. Only the simplest shapes work with a rough surface (even new, clean antifouling is considered rough), these fancy shapes need a smooth, ie a mirror finish, to be of benefit.

I definitely don't like asymmetric foils. True they may give a bit more lift but only one can be used at a time, the other HAS to be raised. So you are carrying around the extra weight of a second board and box plus wasting time adjusting boards after each tack which all makes it not worth the very small efficiency gain.

Many people, especially cruisers, don't mind compromising on performance if it means an easier life, more load carrying and greater protection for the rudders and propellers. And that is why Low Aspect Ratio (LAR) keels are so popular. In much the same way as monohull sailors buy a long keel boat rather than one with a fin keel.

Unfortunately, using LAR keels results in a slower boat and more pitching. That is because to optimize speed you need a hull with buoyancy in the ends, not in the middle (technically you need a high Prismatic Coefficient - Cp). Clearly adding a LAR keel adds buoyancy in exactly the wrong place. Furthermore the midships buoyancy makes the boat pitch more as the hull is more "diamond-like". Having said that the buoyancy in the keel adds to total displacement, so you can carry more gear. And you can use the keel as a water tank/shower sump or even somewhere to fit an engine.

As I have just said, a lower AR means having a bigger foil and so clearly a LAR keel has to have much more area than a daggerboard. Thus the wetted surface area (WSA) is significantly increased, especially when sailing offwind compared to a daggerboarded boat with raised boards. And WSA is the prime source of drag at low speeds. So most designers draw a compromise keel which is smaller than strictly needed to balance the sail forces. But these forces must still balance and this can only be done by having a wider sheeting angle. Which in turn means a LAR boat cannot point as high as one with daggerboards.

So all in all boats with LAR keels are slower on all points of sail and in all conditions when compared to a daggerboarded boat. Say 5deg more leeway and 2deg less pointing. Remember it is hard to tell ones real leeway from looking back at the wake as in a seaway the top 2-3ft of water is blown sideways by the wind. So unless the keel is in deep still water you don't notice that you are drifting sideways until you look at the gps.

Further Design Considerations

Boards can be daggerboards (ie adjusted vertically) or centerboards (ie adjusted by rotating). Even though centre boards sometimes fit better into the accommodation layout and can pivot aft without damage when hitting the ground, daggerboards have proven far more popular. Probably because the centerboard pivot bolt often leaks, while it is very difficult to stop the water surging in the case with the board down, and it is easier for "Stuff" to get stuck in the gap between slot and board, thus jamming the board. A centerboard box/centerboard is probably heavier than using daggerboards. And finally it is harder to remove a centerboard for painting/maintenance.

Angled boards actually take up little interior room and can always be incorporated into accommodation dividers - the nav table bulkhead on a Banshee, the hanging locker on a Sagitta, against the hull side on a Merlin for example. More important is that they then don't bang around in a sloppy sea. Providing the board is angled at under 15deg to the vertical I haven't found any disadvantage in using angled boards. Nor have I noticed any difference between boards placed on the inside of the hull and those on the outside. Certainly there is no advantage in having vertical boards fitted on the hull centerline.

Don't use central boards though the bridgedeck. They simply don't work well. The Prout brothers discovered that in 1953 when they fitted a central board on the prototype Shearwater. By 1954 they had fitted boards in the hulls. The Stiletto catamaran started with a central daggerboard but owners quickly found that converting to ones in the hulls improved performance significantly.

The bottom of a LAR keel should be horizontal, otherwise you'll dry out at angle (OK I know that in many areas boats never dry out, but you want your boat level when in a boatyard) Even worse is a keel that is too short as then the boat can fall forward or aft when people move to bow/stern. Clearly dangerous and damaging to crew and boat.

Building Considerations

Boards are heavy, and more expensive than LAR keels, there's nothing one can do about that. To save weight you can make a short board, so that when down the top of the board is below deck level. Daggerboards can be profiled over their full length. But in that case you need to make the board first, and then make the box round the board. So you need to make expensive boards early on during the build.

The alternative is to profile only the below water portion, leaving the rest rectangular. This means the box is also rectangular, so the board can be made after the box. True, there is some extra turbulence when the board is half raised, but you can negate much of that by fitting a profiled cover plate on the outer side. Also I've found that there are less chance of leaks with a rectangular box and more important, weed, twigs etc are less likely to get between board and case and jam the board.

Many people suggest building a "crash box" to absorb any grounding shock. But be warned! I made one once years ago as an experiment on a dinghy. I ran aground and the board moved back into the crash box, exactly as planned. But then jammed - not part of the plan!! I had to capsize to free the board so I could raise it. Hardly practical on a cruising catamaran!

I haven't used a crash box since, relying instead on a very heavy laminate at the back of the box. My reasoning is that the tapered trailing edge of a board is far weaker than the box and so will always fail first. I proved that when hitting an unmarked reef off Nicaragua and we lost about 300mm x 100 mm of board, yet the box itself was undamaged.

Boards are generally made in timber or foam/glass. I prefer plywood over laminated timber as it is easier to profile. Foam boards are attractive in theory, but it is very hard to stop them warping and getting the correct shape without making a mould first is almost impossible. If you do make a mould you have to join the two halves, and remember boards don't just bend they also twist.

If you can, fit LAR keels as late as possible, this keeps the boat nearer the ground during building and saves a lot of ladder climbing.

What about in use?

Unlike boards, LAR keels are very much fit and forget. So there isn't much to say about keels, except to make sure you have a good sacrificial beaching strip and keep it maintained.

It is sensible to lift the lee daggerboard when reaching, as I have found that most breakages are of the lee board as it gets very loaded at speed. However lifting both boards in a big cross sea is not a good idea as that loads the rudders and that, apart from anything else, makes it heavier to steer, so have both boards half down.

Not being able to lift the lee board for half the time is one reason why I don't like using only one board in one hull. Doing so also means the board is much bigger so there are more local loads and of course it is harder to adjust. And it doesn't seem right to have the CLR so far offline. However if you do fit one board don't fit it in the galley hull as that is always heavier than the other hull.

Lifting the lee board to allow the boat to slip sideways is commonly thought a good idea. I'm not convinced. Tank test work has shown that having a deep lee hull actually helps prevent capsizing. That is because the windward hull lifts to a breaking sea, the sea goes under the bridgedeck and hits the lee hull. Because it is deep it is pushed sideways, which dissipates any overturning energy.

People often think you need a long keel (monohull or multihull) to steer straight "hands off". That simply isn't true. Good directional stability depends on the hull balance. A properly designed daggerboarded boat will sail as straight as a LAR keel one, and have the additional benefit of being quicker to tack and maneuver when necessary.

Finally, if you run aground, you can lift the boards to get off, but remain stuck with keels.

If you don't ever expect to race then keels are OK

If you think crosscut Dacron sails are good enough then keels are OK

If you trail your boat regularly fit dagger boards

If you have wheel steering and inboard engines and expect to dry out often fit keels

If you want the best performance then fit dagger boards, but be prepared to use them

The Cruising Catamaran Performance Debate

Which Cruising Catamaran Performs Better…And Does It Really Matter?

A client recently alerted us to a YouTube video posted by a catamaran dealer that is blatantly misleading and inaccurate. If you listen to this dealer, every catamaran manufacturer, other than the Fountaine Pajot brand, is slow, unsafe, not seaworthy and not fit to be a cruising catamaran.

While we agree that the Fountaine Pajot brand is an excellent product (we sell a lot of them), it certainly is not the ONLY good cruising catamaran in the world. There are many products available that are as good and like so many things, when it comes to choosing a cruising boat, it often boils down to personal preference, especially in this category of cruising catamaran.

2022 UPDATE: You will still find some great information below regarding cruising catamarans, especially if you are in the market to buy one. But lots has happened in the Performance Cruising Catamarans category since this post was written a few years ago, like Catana is back in the game with tons of innovation and a fresh new look. In addition to reading this article, be sure to read:

2022 Performance Cruising Catamaran Comparison
We Bought a Performance Cruiser Catana OC 50

Cruising Catamarans Performance

The dealer in the video our client mentioned to us specifically focused on the superior performance of the Fountaine Pajot compared to some of the competing brands in the cruising category like Leopard Catamarans , Nautitech Catamarans , Bali Catamarans , Lagoon Catamarans , and Catana Catamarans .

The fact is that there is very little difference in speed between similarly lengthed cats in this category. All these catamarans are displacement hulls and they pretty much sail to hull speed with intermittent surfing. Therefore, when sailed efficiently, these cats should have very similar performance.

We hear terms such as power-to-weight ratio (sail area to displacement) bandied about a lot by yacht salespeople of the various boat brands as an indicator of performance. While this is definitely a factor and certainly has an effect on acceleration and light wind performance, it is not the only factor. Some catamaran brands will be faster around the cans in a regatta while others will be better when making long passages.

What one should also consider is that when cruising is that a catamaran’s performance will be dictated by sea state as well as wind speed and direction. In light winds, there will probably be a screecher or asymmetrical spinnaker deployed and in strong winds the sails will probably be reefed. This means that in cruising mode, most sail plans are optimized to the conditions. Therefore, when evaluating a cruising catamaran’s performance, there are many factors to be taken into consideration. This is not a simple cut-and-dried argument.

Catamaran Performance Factors & Calculations

To display the different factors and calculations which are relevant when it comes to catamaran performance, we went to Multihull Dynamics for data and pulled some numbers on the two boats most mentioned in this dealer’s video, namely Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot. Here is what we found on the Multihull Dynamics site:

Base Speed – An empirically derived indicator of the speed a given boat could average over a 24-hour period (best days run) under a variety of conditions. Here again the Lagoon had better numbers with 9.82 knots versus 9.46 knots for the FP Helia 44 – this explains why the Lagoons are so successful on the long Ocean races like the ARC
KSP – Kelsail Sailing Performance number is a measure of relative speed potential of a boat. It takes into consideration Sail area, Displacement and length at Waterline. The higher the number the higher the speed predicted for the boat. Here the FP Helia 44 at 6.06 had better numbers than the Lagoon 450 which comes in at 6.02 – the Helia is the lighter boat.
TR – Texel Rating provides a handicap system for widely varying boats sailing together in a race. The formula is essentially the inverse of the Base Speed formula with constants applied to make the results useful. The Texel rating system permits the calculation of time to sail a given distance. Thus a boat with a higher TR can be expected to take longer from start to finish than a boat with a lower TR. The Lagoon 450 came in at 141 versus the FP Helia 44 at 144.
Interestingly the Leopard 45 came in with better numbers than the Lagoon and the FP as follows: Bruce number – 1.25; Base Speed 10.65; KSP 7.68 and TR 122.
The numbers for Antares PDQ44 are very similar to the Helia 44 and Lagoon 450.
Unfortunately there was no data available for the Bali or current Nautitech designs.

*Disclaimer: All data quoted here was derived from Multihull Dynamics. Catamaran Guru offers the details in good faith and does not guarantee or warrant this data.

>>Click on the pictures above or go to Multihull Dynamics website for a full explanation of the graphs.

While the Fountaine Pajot dealer touts the superior performance of their brand, actual data shows that the Lagoon brand has won more ARC cruising rallies than any other brand of cruising catamaran. These are hardly the statistics of “just a charter catamaran that sails in 50-mile circles and lacks performance”, as is claimed by this dealer. As an example, check out these ARC and ARC+ rally results in which Lagoon consistently features well:

Spirit, Lagoon 450 Flybridge – 1st Multihull
Cat’Leya, Lagoon 52 Sportop – 2nd Multihull
Sea to Sky, Lagoon 450 – 3rd Multihull
Dreamcatcher, Lagoon 52 – 4th Multihull
Sumore, Lagoon 570 – 5th Multihull
Opptur, Lagoon 500 – 6th Multihull
Lea, Lagoon 52 – 10th Multihull
2015: 380 Havhunden, first in ARC+ Multihulls Division in corrected time
2013: 620 Enigma, first in ARC+ Multihulls Division in corrected time
2012: 560 Feliz, first in ARC Multihulls Division in real time
2011: 560 Blue Ocean, first in ARC Multihulls Division in corrected time & third in ARC Multihulls Division in real time
2010: 620 Lady Boubou, first in ARC Multihulls Division & 11th overall in real time

This is NOT an indication of how good or bad one boat over another is, but rather an indication of dealer bias ! We are sure this debate will continue but it is our considered opinion that one should look at the overall boat and not be blinded by issues that might or might not be manufactured by over-zealous sales people. As we have said before, it often comes down to personal preference.

Performance Cruising Catamarans

High-performance cruising cats are becoming more popular and there are a lot more on the market than even just five years ago, but it’s not for everyone, especially if you are not a skilled sailor. Daggerboards and bigger rigs require more skill and are not for the average sailor.

We’ve been racing on and off for years on different catamarans and we’ve always had great fun sailing and surfing at speeds of 15+ knots. But as fun as that is, it can be a white knuckled, wild ride in bad conditions and can leave the crew tired and tense because one has to really pay attention. At these speeds any mistake could be catastrophic since there is so much load on the rig. So, make no mistake, sailing fast in less than good conditions is hard work, particularly when you sail shorthanded.

When only the two of us cruise along on our own boat, we really appreciate the pleasure of gliding through the water at 8-10 knots, relaxed and comfortable. Would we love to be able to coast along at a good clip in very light winds? Sure, we would love to own an Outremer or Catana! But that type of performance cat will cost us probably twice the price of a regular cruising catamaran. Is it worth the money for the average cruiser? Debatable.

With the advancement of technology, more people will eventually be able to sail these performance cats skillfully and will be able to afford them as costs come down but until such time, we believe that the average sailor can very happily sail at fair speed toward their destination, safely and relaxed on an average cruising catamaran as discussed above. The fact is, one or two knots of speed, which is what the difference between these cruising cats MIGHT be, will not make or break your passage.

2020 Update: At the time of writing this article, we owned a Lagoon 450 SporTop , not a rocket ship by any means, but a fair sailing boat. We now own a Bali 5.4 catamaran that is significantly lighter and faster in general as a cruising catamaran and we love the extra speed. However, I have to say that this boat is less comfortable underway than the heavier Lagoon. It is more buoyant, a little more skittish and tend to surf much quicker. So one has to pay more attention in more vigorous conditions. It can be tiring on a long passage, but it sure is fun!

Stephen says, “I personally like the Bali because it is a more lively boat and sails very well – when we picked our boat up in France it was completely empty and bobbed like a cork which we were not used to because our Lagoon was a much heavier boat. Since we have now equipped her with all the world cruising equipment as well as big dinghy, etc. she is a little heavier and a lot more comfortable. It is a fact that weight affects performance – the lighter the boat the better performance one can expect. We flew across the Atlantic when we were nice and light but the boat still performs well now that she is at full cruising weight”.

The Bottom Line

So, to conclude this argument, dealers are always somewhat biased about the products that they represent. Manufacturers go to great lengths and spend a lot of money training their dealer networks to be knowledgeable about their products and represent them well with the buying public. They rightfully expect loyalty from their dealers and expect them to present a positive image to the consumer. We all get that. However, when dealers trash and misrepresent their competition with manufactured issues in order to sell their own products, they do a disservice to the buying public and the industry in general.

We want to hear what you have to say! Tell us about performance on your cruising catamaran and also check out our article on why we chose our own catamaran .

Reminder! Check out these fresh updates on performance catamarans:

Contact us if you have any questions regarding catamarans, Fractional Yacht Ownership or our Charter Management Programs .

Estelle Cockcroft

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13 thoughts on “The Cruising Catamaran Performance Debate”

Thanks for a sober writing. I am the owner of the Lagoon 380 Hahunden, and agter with you. I have a spreadsheet with 75 different cruising cat models and the elapsed times in 29 races, and there is not much difference in perforfance. Can send it if uou want. Greetings.

I would like to see that spreadsheet for sure!

I own a Venezia 42′ and if my boat is part of your spreadsheet I would especially love to see it! Could you please send me a copy even if it’s not on there?

To discuss performance and Lagoon or FP in the same sentence is crass. These are not performance Catamarans, purely floating caravans. They have no pretence to performance only cruising capacity, any indicator of performance is purely coincidental.

I own a Privilege 495 and wouldn’t trade it for any other cat.

Hi Jack, I am interested in the performance of your boat. I understand that mini keels decrease performance considerably. Thanks Di

I would like to point out that the data that you use from Multihull Dynamics is completely flawed due to an inaccurate displacement value. Multihull Dynamcis inexplicably lists the Helia at 14 tons, while Fountaine Pajot and your site list the boat at 10.8 tons. This is quite a big difference and skews all the metrics calculated by the site. The Helia is obviously a lighter boat and performance in catamarans starts with weight, so it is undoubted that the Helia will be more lively than the Lagoon. I totally get your point that that does not mean that it will be more comfortable. Second, on the ARC data front: my father sailed twice across the same route in the Atlantic in the last 10 years and I’m very familiar with the conditions. The trade winds there tend to be rather lively and in those conditions weight will matter less. I would expect to see different results in lighter conditions. All that said, the dealer in question is undoubtedly doing their marketing with an agenda.

Hi Ivan, thanks for your input regarding the Helia 44 weight discrepancy. We are aware of this and it holds good for both vessels. You will note that the Helia 44 shows a displacement UNLOADED of 10.8T while the Lagoon 450 shows an UNLOADED displacement of 15T. In order to get accurate performance numbers we assume that Multihull Dynamics have used a number that represents the LOADED weight of both vessels. This means that for the Helia 44 it went from 10.8T to 14.1T (an increase of 3.3T) and in the case of the Lagoon 450, it went from 15T to 20T (an increase of 5T), since it a larger boat overall with more capacity. Based on the above I think we can safely say that we are looking at a fair and accurate comparison. Your input is really appreciated and we are always open to comment and correction to ensure the information we put on the site is accurate and fair.

Thank you for the clarification on displacement.I do see that they have bumped up the Lagoon 450 displacement as well so that’s a fair comparison. I wish they published that clearly because it changes numbers quite a bit as all manufacturers typically post the weight of their boats unloaded.It looks like the Lagoon makes up for the greater weight with a bigger sail area, so that will probably add up to greater effort needed to manage those larger sails but with modern systems, all these things can be managed. Thank you for the clarification and your insight overall.

I think the misconception people have about “performance” catamarans, is that the reason sailors gravitate towards them is not their speed, it is their ability to sail in light air. If you have a catamaran that will sail at windspeed or close to it in 5-8 knots, you’ll actually sail instead of cranking up the diesel. Those true performance catamarans capable of this that also have all the creature comforts of the Helia/Elba45 or Lagoon450/46, are 50+ feet long, and twice the price unfortunately.

You are so right! Well said.

Good article! For me, the weight includes all the stuff you are taking on a month long (or longer) journey (Full fuel +extra cans, 2 sups, dive tanks and compressor, 4 cases of wine…). My opinion is that the performance cats hull design suffers more when loaded to the gills. Ride quality is also very important and is often glossed over by the performance cat advocates.

You are completely right and that was part of strategy when we raced across the Atlantic with the ARC rally. We knew that all the cats would be loaded to the max for the crossing which no doubt makes them less efficient sailing cats. Fortunately on the Bali 5.4 the buoyancy calculations is for a fully spec’d and loaded boat. So we left and sailed like a bat out of hell right off the bat and we were sailing very efficiently, making 200+ NM distances every day. We figured that as the other cats start using their fuel, water and supplies, they would sail a little more efficiently but by then we would be well ahead of the pack, and it worked. We surprised even the very fast performance cats and all the while eight of us onboard were sailing in complete comfort and were eating gourmet meals three times a day! LOL- Of course the TS’s beat us but it is hardly a fair fight. LOL

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6 Best Performance Cruising Catamarans (Buyer’s Guide)

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Performance cruising catamarans are impressive-looking vessels that focus on speed above comfort. These fast boats are ideal for racing and long cruising vacations. But with the numerous brands and models on the market, how do you know which is the best one?

The best high-speed performance cruising catamarans are the Outremer 4x, McConaghy MC50, Nautitech 44, Gunboat 62, Balance 526, and Marsaudon Composites ORC50. All these boats deliver outstanding speeds and are light in weight, relatively comfortable, and incredibly safe.

This article will explore the brands and models that I believe have the best combination of performance and comfort . We’ll look at their speeds and what makes them cruise so fast. We’ll also examine the factors to consider when shopping for a performance cruising cat.

Table of Contents

How Fast Are Performance Cruising Catamarans?

Cruising catamarans are generally faster than monohulls of similar lengths. This means most well-built and well-balanced cats will arrive at their destination much sooner, and the cruise is much more comfortable. Performance cruising cats like the Nautitech include deep daggerboards and rudders, narrow waterline beams, hull chines, and big sail plans that allow for faster sailing than a standard cruising cat.

CATAMARAN	SPEED (Knots)
Outremer 4X	20
McConaghy 52	22
Nautitech 44	17
ORC 50	23
Balance 526	20
Gunboat 62	20
Privilege Signature 510 (For reference)	13
Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42 (For reference)	10

Outremer 4X

Outremer Catamarans are well-known for their high speeds. These exciting cats sport brilliant designs, narrow bows, and large rigs. Built in Southern France, the vessels are strong and long-lasting since their structures feature materials such as carbon, glass, and vinyl ester.

The Outremer 4x is a stable and comfortable high-speeding cruising catamaran that performs ocean crossings and confronts any weather with remarkable ease. Named the European Boat of the Year in 2017, this 48-foot (14.6 m) bluewater cruiser sails faster than wind speed and attains maximum cruising speeds of 20 knots.

The 4x is an upgrade of the extremely popular Outremer 45, thus retaining Outremer’s core values of speed, safety, and comfort. It’s built for maximum performance and enjoyment, with the lightweight, carbon fiber structure allowing for additional speed under sail .

Featuring comfort typical of much larger vessels, the Outremer 4X features 4 double cabins, hot water showers, a full kitchen, spacious storage, and excellent ventilation. There’s also an expansive deck, an unobstructed cockpit, and large trampoline areas. Most importantly, your safety is assured through the cat’s unique features including a robust structure, offshore design, stability, and unrivaled speed potential.

The 4x’s cutting-edge design makes it ideal for competitive racing or blue water cruising, and it does both without compromising your comfort, safety, or onboard livability. However, to sail at maximum speed, the boat must remain lightweight, requiring your interior to be fitted out quite minimally. The other downside is the high price tag; the Outremer 4X commands a price between $912,322 and $1,202,945 .

McConaghy MC52

The McConaghy MC52 is a performance luxury cruising cat reflective of McConaghy’s 50 years of experience in building high-tech composite projects. The luxurious boat features a flybridge, retracting centerboards, optimized hulls, and an open space bridgedeck combining the salon with the cockpit. You can also customize the boat to your specifications.

This hi-tech cat comes with sizeable sliding salon windows and frameless doors that provide fantastic views. Its wave-piercing bows can cut through waves, thus helping to increase performance by minimizing pitch resistance, while still retaining a smooth ride. Also, the saloon offers spacious dining space for up to 8 people, and the galley area is more like a penthouse.

The manufacturer’s background in building high-end racing yachts has resulted in an incredibly strong and lightweight vessel capable of reaching 22 knots (40.7 km/h or 25.29 mph). The main downside to this boat is the boom placement on the mast, which is much higher than other high-performance cats. This makes accessing the mainsail somewhat challenging. It also increases the MC50’s center of gravity and center of effort.

You can get the MC52 for about $1.6 million.

Nautitech 44

The Nautitech 44 easily blends comfort and fun to deliver an impressive sailing performance, whether you take short trips or long ocean crossings. The boat offers a good balance under sail, and it features helming stations on each hull. Plus, there’s an integrated hardtop bimini complete with sunroof opening. Slim hulls translate to higher speeds, with the vessel reaching up to 17 knots (31.4 km/h or 19.51 mph).

The well-laid-out interior boasts a functional design, ample storage space, plus all the equipment you require for ocean cruising, such as a fridge, watermaker, and solar.

Nautitech 44’s twin helms give you the real sailing experience with a fantastic view of the sails and great visibility when maneuvering into port. However, you might not appreciate being stuck in the aft helm position without protection in lousy weather or during hot days.

Nevertheless, the boat’s responsiveness makes sailing more pleasurable. Plus, it’s affordable; the price is between $236,000 and $334,000.

Marsaudon Composites ORC50

Marsaudon Composites vessels are ideal for both racing and cruising. The sporty-looking ORC 50 comes with large inverted bows, an angular coachroof, a high freeboard, and a sturdy rotating carbon mast. In addition, the vessel is light which allows it to accelerate quickly, while the angular coachroof offers lots of space and excellent visibility.

The ORC50 can attain 23+ knots (42.5+ km/h or 26.41+ mph) and is among the fastest high-performance livable multihulls. It’s capable of doing more than 350 miles (563.27 km) per day.

The downside to the ORC50 is it’s a bit technical to sail, thus requiring a skilled sailor. Furthermore, its immense power and speed can be intimidating to less experienced sailors. Solely designed for speed, the ORC50’s interior is simple, less roomy, and somewhat spartan; hence the boat might not be all that comfy. Still, it’ll get you where you want to go pretty fast, and it’s an excellent value for money at approximately $787,751.25.

Gunboat 62

The Gunboat 62 is a true high-speed catamaran capable of sailing at 20 knots (37 km/h or 23 mph) over true wind speeds and known to notch up speeds of 36+ knots (66.7+ km/h or 41.45 mph) on a surf. The initial 3 Gunboat 62 boats featured epoxy, E-glass, and carbon fiber construction, but the fourth vessel was all carbon, sported a taller rig and a more expansive sail area.

These structural features made the Gunboat 62s extremely light, and they formed the original luxury high-performance cruising cats.

This multihull sailboat boasts a carbon mast, round hull sections for a minimized wetted surface area, high-aspect rudders, and retractable daggerboards. The steering station offers 360-degree visibility and sports overhead hatches that you can use to monitor the mainsail trim. The boat also contains 3 private cabins with queen berths, 2 spacious heads with showers, an aft cockpit, galley, and lounge.

On the downside, Gunboats are pricey cats; hence they’re also expensive to maintain. The Gunboat 62 isn’t that spacious either as it’s more focused on speed, but it’s extremely comfortable, plus there’s plenty of space for hanging out. You can buy this catamaran starting from $2 million .

Balance 526

Built with a combination of carbon fiber, E-glass, epoxy, closed-cell foam, and composite bulkheads, this boat is strong, light, and can withstand terrible weather. The retractable daggerboards allow for good upwind performance. All high load areas contain carbon fiber, while furniture and cabinets feature cored sandwich construction, producing the lightest yet most robust catamaran.

A Balance 526 will reach speeds of up to 20knots without stressing the rig too much.

The boat is available in various layouts and comfortably accommodates 6 people. The spacious aft cockpit and saloon provide panoramic visibility. And since Balance 526 can handle the extra weight, you get performance plus all the creature comforts you desire.

Still, Balance 526’s pricing is on the higher end, beginning at $1,440,000 . Also, the slender hulls result in less space down below. Nevertheless, the boat lives up to its name, achieving the perfect balance between superb performance and comfort.

What Makes Performance Cruising Catamarans So Fast?

Performance Cruising Catamarans Have Narrow Hulls

Performance catamarans contain two small narrow hulls, which cause them to have less water resistance. Smaller hulls mean the vessels have much smaller bow waves to fight, allowing them to move extremely fast. In addition, the less hull area is underwater, the faster the boat is capable of moving since there’s less drag.

Having said that, it’s important to note that a narrow hull is more prone to burying its bows in rough seas. The wider the hull, the more buoyancy it offers, but only up to a given point. After which, the excessive width becomes unmanageable and performance suffers. The key lies in finding the right balance.

Performance Cruising Catamarans Have Considerable Length

The longer a cruising cat is, the faster it’ll move. While each vessel bears a maximum hull speed, in most cases, the lengthier the boat, the higher the speed it can reach. The length of the hull (length on the waterline) also has a significant impact on the speed performance. Thus, the cat attains maximum speeds when the wavelength is equal to the length on the waterline (hull speed).

Therefore, the longer the length of the hull, the better the performance of a high-speed cruising cat. You can also compare two cruising cats’ speeds based on this measure.

Performance Cruising Catamarans Have Quality Builds

Modern cat manufacturers continue designing more innovative high-performance cruising cats that deliver a new blend of performance and cruising features. They achieve this by using advanced construction materials, better daggerboard designs, and creative weight allocation. They also keep a keener focus on onboard amenities. For instance, asymmetrical daggerboards placed midships in each hull can help achieve proper balance and hull trim.

The overall goal is to design cruising cats that offer high speeds, outstanding performance, and enough offshore comfort.

Here’s an article if you are wondering what daggerboards and centerboards are and why they impact performance so much.

Performance Cruising Catamarans Are Light-weight

The lighter a cruising catamaran, the greater its performance. And some of the most popular high-performance catamarans find an optimal balance between performance and comfort. As a result, modern performance-based cruising cats have embraced the use of carbon composite construction for hulls, daggerboards, and rigging, instead of the somewhat heavier glass fiber materials.

A weighed-down cat produces less speed, which means excess immersion of the hulls renders the boat sluggish . The hull submersion also reduces the bridge deck clearance, promoting uncomfortable hull slamming.

You won’t find much difference in top speed between performance catamarans bearing similar lengths because they all have displacement hulls and mostly sail to hull speed with occasional surfing. This means that under skilled hands, these cats should exhibit roughly the same performance. A cruising cat’s performance is also highly dependent on the state of the sea, wind direction, and speed, amongst many other factors.

What To Consider When Choosing a Performance Cruising Catamaran

Speed is the number one consideration when choosing a high-speed cruising cat. Yet there are other factors just as important since they contribute to the overall cruising performance, including:

What you’ll use the vessel for and where. Are you planning on doing coastal cruising or serious offshore cruising? Consider the number of people that you’ll be sailing with and the activities you’ll engage in. This also helps determine the size catamaran you’ll need.
Comfort. While some racing enthusiasts might prefer spartan accommodation plans, most enjoy relative comfort on the high seas. In any case, modern high-speed cruising cats are designed to provide a certain level of creature comforts. And since most performance cats are custom-made, new boat owners may decide precisely which features to include in their cats.
Quality. To produce light boats, builders employ the use of fine resins, carbon, epoxies, foam cores, and fiberglass. They build using a combination of vacuum-bagged techniques, foam cores, foam composite bulkheads, and make furniture and cabinetry with cored sandwich construction .
Livability. One cannot underrate the appeal of sailing in a vessel with no heeling, not to mention the high privacy attained from separate living and sleeping areas. Panoramic views and exceptional deck space for lounging and entertaining are also essential in ensuring maximum cruising comfort. Fortunately, most high-speed cruising cats offer all these features and more.
Equipment. Sailing upwind is a challenge for cruising cats since they tend to make lots of leeway. To make things easier, high-speed cruising cats come equipped with bigger rigs and either daggerboards or centerboards. However, this also means skilled sailors are required to operate them.
Cost. Catamarans are generally expensive, but a cat built with longer, leaner hulls and less costly materials can still give an outstanding performance. Such materials include foam cores, epoxy bulkheads, and epoxy resins. Furthermore, it’s not necessary to use only carbon to build a lightweight boat.

Final Thoughts

Performance cruising catamarans are built using exotic, high-tech, lightweight materials to deliver an electrifying sailing experience. And as we’ve seen from the above list, these boats deliver performance plus much more. They’re not only speed cruisers, but they also provide a smooth, comfortable, and enjoyable cruising experience.

So, whichever option you go for – from the luxurious Gunboat 62 to the much more affordable Nautitech 44 – you’re sure to get a boat that suits your needs.

Wikipedia: Spinnaker
Wikipedia: High-Performance Sailing
Yachting World: Fountaine Pajot Elba 45 Review
Aeroyacht: Catamaran Speed
Cruiser’s Forum: Nautitech 44…
Nautitech Catamarans: Nautitech
Katamarans: Marsaudon Composites ORC50 (TS5) Review
Outremer USA: New Outremer 4x Performance Catamaran
Dutoit Yacht Design: Balance 526 Review
Go Downsize: How Fast Do Catamarans Go?
Catamaran Guru: The Cruising Catamaran Performance Debate
The Boat App: The Fastest Cruising Catamarans of 2020
Sail Magazine: Performance Cruising Cats Set New Standards in Sailing Speed
Cruisers Forum: Fast Cruising Catamarans – How Fast?
Lagoon – Inside: The Secrets of a Catamaran’s Performance
Sail Magazine: 10 Great Cruising Cats
Cruising World: 40 Best Sailing Catamarans and Trimarans, Cruising Catamarans…

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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23-11-2015, 09:30

Boat: WTB Lagoon or Leopard 38'-40'

using Cruisers Sailing Forum

23-11-2015, 10:48

Boat: Catana 471

against that objective.

I only know of one cruising type that was made with daggerboards, and that model (I can't even remember the name of it now) had been known to overturn under some conditions.

23-11-2015, 10:54
Boat: 1994 Solaris Sunstream 40	, Dolphin, Grainger, Atlantic, even the original cats, etc.,etc.? Wow! As to stabiity, most naval architects will acknowledge that having boards should actually improve transverse stability in heavy condition as one can raise the leeward board (or both) and eliminate the risk of the tripping up on its leeward . So yes, it was either a joke or an expression of supreme ignorance about catamarans.

23-11-2015, 10:57

Boat: WTB Lagoon or Leopard 38'-40'

23-11-2015, 11:31

Boat: Catana 471

23-11-2015, 12:44

23-11-2015, 13:22

Boat: Catana 471

23-11-2015, 13:38
Boat: 1994 Solaris Sunstream 40	than a shallow . This is why in both cases, the former typically sail better to windward than the latter. However, in the case of a board, unlike a deep fixed keel, a prudent sailor has the ability to raise the boards in heavy conditions so that it not only reduces resistance to leeway that then mirrors a less efficient LAR keel, but so that it has even less resistance (in effect, none except that which is generated by the hulls and rudders). As a result, it will have even greater resistance to in heavy conditions. To reject this notion is akin to suggesting that no cruising should have a sail area that requires reefing in heavy air! All require adjustments in heavy conditions in order to avoid ; fortunately, a cat with boards can be adjusted so that it is even harder to capsize than one with LAR keels. Brad

23-11-2015, 15:11

01-12-2015, 15:19

against that objective.

I only know of one cruising type catamaran that was made with daggerboards, and that model (I can't even remember the name of it now) had been known to overturn under some conditions.

If you're talking about catamarans, I'd be surprised if they didn't all have daggerboards, or at least the option to add them.

Fullfi Boa Sempor

02-12-2015, 11:18

Boat: Multihulls - cats and Tris

18-09-2020, 07:36

18-09-2020, 09:46

Boat: Shuttleworth Advantage

18-09-2020, 12:03

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Cruising Cat Racing Franco Style

By Herb McCormick
August 20, 2024

The French are different from us. After years of covering offshore sailing, particularly the shorthanded scene, that’s always been my take. What event could possibly be more French than the Vendée Globe, the quadrennial nonstop solo race around the planet on foiling IMOCA 60 rockets that’s front-page news in France for months on end, mainly because impending catastrophes and daring Southern Ocean rescues are seemingly daily occurrences? From ports along the Brittany coast and elsewhere, this nation produces the best ocean-racing specialists, and in my opinion, the greatest among them is ironman Francis Joyon, who holds or has held almost every major voyaging record, including winning the Jules Verne Trophy in 2017 for circling the globe in just over 40 days.

Surprisingly, given their prowess across multiple racing venues, the French have always mounted horrible America’s Cup campaigns, but even there, they’ve put their personal stamp on it. When ballpoint-pen magnate Baron Bich was consistently getting smoked in his four challenges during the 12-Metre days, the old joke was we could always tell that the French were about to tack when the crew flicked their cigarettes over the side.

All that said, other than occasional boat reviews with French sailboat manufacturers, I’d never really gone sailing with an all-French squad. That changed early this past February, when I score a ride with legendary competitor Marc Guillemot and his team for a day of racing off St. Maarten in the annual Caribbean Multihull Challenge Race and Rally. I’m eager to discover if the French boys are really playing the game differently.

Guillemot has enjoyed a long and productive career, the highlight of which was his third-place win in the 2008 Vendée aboard his IMOCA 60, Safran. Now in this mid-60s, his latest boat is a Christophe Barreau-designed 53-foot MG5 catamaran called Dazelad , roughly translated as “alternative” in English, as a nod to its innovative carbon construction and upcycled components.

“He’s won a lot of stuff and wanted his own personal boat, his home; it’s not about sponsors,” says French yachting journalist Emmanuel van Deth, who’d hooked me up with Guillemot. “It’s a compromise, so he can cruise with friends or race with friends.”

As a compromised “retirement” vessel that Guillemot plans to charter occasionally to offset expenses, it’s still pretty quick: He nabbed an impressive third place on its maiden voyage in the 2022 Route du Rhum.

Like jockeys and movie stars, it’s always a little jarring to meet French solo sailors in person; Joyon is a certified beast, but most of them are of rather diminutive stature, as is Guillemot. His English is spotty (but way better than my French), but he has an easy, elfin smile, and an extremely laid-back demeanor. I like him immediately. His extremely cool boat, in spirit and execution, is a crazy work of nautical art, the sum of many disparate parts.

Guillemot conducts a quick tour, which is fascinating. Much of the gear is stuff he scavenged from Safran. But that is just the start of it. It is in many ways a history of and tribute to the French singlehanded racing scene, with contributions from Guillemot’s many IMOCA pals. The rudder is from one of Jérémie Beyou’s old boats; Damien Seguin supplied the daggerboards; the running rigging is off Loick Peyron’s Gitana ; Jean Le Cam donated an old spar. If Frankenstein’s monster were a boat, it would be Dazelad.

The crew of close friends, including Guillemot’s brother, Regis, who dinghies over from his big cruising cat, is also notable. Longtime pro sailor and sailing writer Nicolas Raynaud is a jolly, Falstaffian character with a ready laugh and a twinkle in his eye who definitely seems like a kindred soul.

His polar opposite is tactician Bruno Jourdren, quiet and studious, who’d suffered a serious accident in his youth that had permanently damaged his right arm; he sails with his hand always in his pocket. A three-time Paralympic sailor, he has also cleaned up in dedicated one-design classes such as the Melges 24, where he is a former national champion.

Before the day’s first race, Guillemot and Jourdren, huddled prerace over an iPad with the sailing instructions, are clearly very tight. Van Deth speaks of the latter in almost reverential terms: “They call Michel Desjoyeaux ‘the professor’ because of his navigational approach, but when it comes to tactics, Bruno is also considered an academic. If he says, ‘Go left,’ you go left. You do not question him.”

The most I can get out of Jourdren is a raised eyebrow, which is pretty much in keeping with all the previous professors in my life.

It is a strange day, weather-wise, for the Caribbean; the generally pumping, reliable easterly trade winds are on hiatus, replaced by an unusual northwest breeze of 10 knots. With a downwind start, there is a short debate about the merits of an asymmetric kite versus a code zero headsail, with the latter getting the call. I am relegated to the foredeck with Regis and Van Deth to furl and then unfurl the code zero through tacks and jibes. Foolishly, I’ve brought only flip-flops, thinking I’d sail barefoot, as I often do in the islands. But the trampolines on Dazelad are like razor wire, and footwear is a must. Rookie mistake.

Thanks to the headsail discussion, we are slightly late for the start, but once the code zero is sheeted home and Dazelad begins manufacturing its own apparent wind, we take off, easily notching 12-plus knots, and Desjoyeaux carves through the pack and picks off the competition (though there was no catching the HH66 and Gunboat 66 at the front of the fleet). The French are cooking.

There is a refreshing squall on the last tack to the finish line in a race with a little bit of everything, including a couple of lulls in the breeze. Guillemot seems pleased and philosophical with the midfleet result. “Under 12 knots [of wind], not so good,” he says. “Twelve or more, that’s when we go.”

The sun pops out and the breeze pipes up for Race 2, and Dazelad is in jailbreak mode off the starting line, ripping around the racecourse with average speeds in the midteens. The cat spins through tacks and jibes like a Hobie, and noticeably accelerates in every puff. The results aren’t any different from the first race, but the sailing itself is fantastic.

And then comes lunch. In this aspect of actual French cooking, there is no question that they will raise the bar. Raynaud has effortlessly whipped together a fresh pasta dish brimming with cucumbers, melons, avocado and cheese that is nothing less than magnificent. An obligatory break for a cigarette caps off the meal. Très bien, mon ami.

It is apparently an inspiring repast as Guillemot crushes the start for the third and final contest of the day. At this stage, spinning around the same triangle course off the southern coast of St. Maarten, the entire exercise is beginning to feel a little like Groundhog Day. By this time, however, we’ve become a pretty well-honed team, and our maneuvers are fairly flawless, if I do say so myself. For this race, the only cats ahead of us at the end are the pair of 66-footers. In surfing, it’s often been said that the best surfer is the one who’s having the most fun. If that’s also the case in sailboat racing, Dazelad is the day’s clear-cut winner. Raynaud, who is rapidly becoming my idol, passes out cold beers all around.

And then, at the literal end of the day, Guillemot and his mates hastily put away the boat. They have another important appointment. The French rugby team is about to play an international match with Ireland, and they are eager to get to a bar in Marigot on the island’s French side to watch the action. Yes, they are on their merry way to guzzle brews and basically watch football. Hmm. That’s when it hits me: Maybe these French dudes aren’t so different from us after all.

More: Multihull , Print Summer 2024 , Racing , Sailboat Racing
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Boat Test: New Luxurious Multihull Lagoon 60

Multihull manufacturer lagoon is the world leader in building cruising multihulls. they’ve gone big with their new lagoon 60 as sam jefferson finds out..

Lagoon 60 : Double the pleasure

Lagoon catamarans is without doubt the biggest cruising multihull manufacturer in the world and their yachts are ubiquitous be it in the South Seas or the South Coast of England. The manufacturer states that there are around 7,000 Lagoons bobbing around on the oceans. The secret of their success could probably best pinned on their consistency of purpose; the Bordeaux based manufacturer has never really tried to produce anything other than comfortable cruising catamarans. Sure, they have always looked to improve performance and internal volumes but they have always kept the faith with the idea that they know what they want to produce and they believe that they are in tune with the buying public. The results speak for themselves; nobody is ever going to win races in a Lagoon but they will always have a comfortable platform for cruising adventures and the fact that you find Lagoons the world over suggests that the boats are tried and tested in quite extreme conditions.

Having said that Lagoon has always displayed a consistency of purpose is true but its also fair to say that they have diversified slightly in recent years. The introduction of the spin off Excess range of slightly more sporty cruising cats spoke of a desire to diversify slightly. Meanwhile, the launch of the Lagoon Sixty 5 and Seventy 7, big cats aimed squarely at a slightly more bling audience than smaller models, also pointed to a desire to move into a new market, one remove from their previous flagship, the Lagoon 55. The 60, which replaces their bestselling 620, is a clear attempt to bridge the gap between the 55 and the Sixty 5 and there is plenty of evidence that they have looked to take the best aspects of both these boats and fuse them in the new 60. This is a yacht that shares plenty of styling and design characteristics with the 55 and its smaller sister the 51 yet, once aboard, I definitely felt that it shared a lot with the luxurious Sixty 5 when it came to the interior space.

So who is the boat designed for? Well, while the 55 is mainly aimed at cruising couples, Lagoon accepts that the 60 will likely need a full time crew. Sure, the set up is simple enough to sail as an energetic couple but this is a genuinely big boat and that means an awful lot of cleaning if nothing else. The boat is designed by VPLP with Nauta doing the interior. This is a classic team for Lagoon and they rarely make too many mis steps. The design is far from radical and features hulls designed for volume and also taking into consideration that this is a yacht that is likely to be loaded to the gills. Lagoon is realistic enough to know that they are not going for blinding performance with this boat so daggerboards are out of the question and the tulip shaped midship sections ensure that there is big outward flare well above the waterline to boost volume. The boat relies on stub keels which give a draught of 1.6m to give a bit of grip going to windward but she is not going to compete with the Catanas or Outremers of this world – nor is she intended to. Given that this is a yacht that weighs in at 32,000kg it is perhaps no surprise that the sail area is big, with an air draft of 100’ meaning that, even with the flybridge reducing the size of the main somewhat, this is a big rig. As with the 55, the rig is stepped further forward than on earlier models and is fitted with overlapping headsails. Naval architect VPLP says these offer more flexibility and efficiency on a boat of this type than the near ubiquitous non-overlapping jibs of today’s yachts.

Approaching the boat from the water (she was anchored off the port of Fornells in Minorca when I tested her) I was struck by the strong family resemblance with the 55. Stepping aboard though and I felt like I’d moved into an altogether different size bracket. Make no mistake, this is a big boat. Approaching from astern you have wide bathing platforms on the sponsons and two steps up take you to the cockpit. A notable feature is the dinghy/bathing platform which is a massive wood slatted platform that drops down to water level when at anchor and can be submerged to allow the dinghy to float free. At deck level there are two side flaps on both quarters that drop down to give you even more space. This feeling of space is genuinely astonishing by the way – as you can probably imaging given the boat has a beam of 32’.

One notable feature is that the entire boat from stern to bow features no steps up or down. This was more of a challenge for the designers than you imagine and was a conscious decision based on the idea that they wanted the boat to feel as open as possible. It means you have an unobstructed walkway from the back of the aft cockpit, through the saloon to the forward cockpit. The aft cockpit area is big with an L-shaped sofa and twin tables to port. The drop leaf tables fold out to make one very large single table ideal for dining al fresco. To starboard is another sofa with a fridge at the forward end. There is storage both under the seats and under the deck plus access to the engines. There is also direct access to the owners stateroom from the starboard side of the cockpit via a fancy doorway/hatch made from toughened glass.

Two steps up takes you onto the side decks which are wide and feature a good handhold on the coach roof. Up at the bow there is a forward cockpit area with loungers and sofas. This is also a pleasant space and there is a door that leads you straight back into the saloon, so access is excellent. The Solid foredeck does not extend right to the bow, which is reserved for two crew cabins to port and starboard of the trampoline. These feature a reasonable amount of space for crew and the port side has an ensuite with shower.

Heading back into the cockpit and then up to the next level via well proportioned stairs is the flybridge, which is well shaded by a solid bimini. This area is huge, with a work surface, sink and fridge aft and to starboard and l shaped seating area with table to port. The stairs up to this deck are to starboard and the helm is also offset to starboard. Forward of the helm station is a large seating/lounging area with a coffee table in the middle. The solid Bimini has a detachable ladder up to it which gives access to the main and has solar panels on it. There are four giant harken winches with 14 jammers – seven each side – which handle all the running rigging. In addition the buttons for the furling code 0, staysail and Genoa are to port And starboard The helm station is comfortable with a broad seat.

The saloon is huge and loosely divided into three areas with the galley aft and to port and a small nav station aft to starboard. In fact this galley area is a sink, wine cooler and fridge plus storage space because the actual galley is just aft of this, completely separate, with it’s own entrance in the cockpit. Down here you have a good space for cooking with a huge full height fridge four ring hob and oven plus ample workspace and a small crew dining area. There is an option to expand the galley in the main living area, dispense with the large ‘crew’ galley to starboard and turn this into an extra cabin. This marginally reduces the feeling of space in the saloon but might work better if you had plans to charter the boat out a lot. Staying in the saloon and forward on the port side is a huge seating area with a coffee table in the middle and then a dining area to starboard. It’s all very open with sliding patio doors into the cockpit and a large door leading to the forward cockpit.

Descend to starboard and you are in the owner’s suite. This is huge and very light and spacious. The double bed is athwartships and there is more than enough space to walk either side of the bed and also a desk area forward of this. After is the bathroom which has a totally separate heads and steps aft which, as already mentioned, lead directly onto the aft section of the cockpit. The smoked glass ensures privacy while also letting in masses of natural light. It’s an extraordinary place to take a shower. Staying in the starboard hull and forward of the stateroom – and completely separate – is a large guest double with ensuite. There’s plentiful room and a good feeling of space.

Stepping into the port hull and moving forward of the galley which we have already discusse, there is a twin bedroom with fore and aft berths plus ensuite. Ahead of this there is a double cabin with the bed set athwartships forward of this with the ensuite at the bow. The boat therefore sleeps eight comfortably plus the crew up forward. The overall ambience is very pleasant and the quality of the fit out was impressive. Trite as it may be to say, this is far more spacious and comfortable than many mid sized apartments.

One thing you can’t do with a mid sized apartment is take it sailing. Something you definitely can do with the Lagoon 60. Conditions in Minorca were somewhat tricky for a boat weighing in at 32 tonnes. The wind was between 5 and 10kn, although the water was relatively flat. Under sail the 60 proved a powerful performer in very light winds and with the Code 0 unfurled we were largely able to match the wind speed up to 7kn. Sail handling was simple but the hydraulic steering was a touch on the notchy side and lacking in feel. I’d just come from a week sailing a tiller steered Jeanneau Selection 37 so this was a hard contrast. Although it’s fair to say that the contrast in comfort aboard was similarly striking. Things have improved a lot in a short time when it comes to hydraulic steering but even so, it lacks a bit of feel and on any long passage you’ll be sticking it on autopilot and simply enjoying the ride. The boat is medium displacement and is designed to sail heavily loaded down so that powerful sail plan is a must and it works well. She’s not massively close winded but she does truck along thanks to that big sail plan. Under power she was very responsive and the addition of bow thrusters meant it was supremely easy to manoeuvre. The Raymarine dock assist system further helped ensure that mooring was truly effortless with six cameras allowing you to see clearly all sides of the boat and their distance relative to the quay.

Sam’s verdict on the Lagoon 60

At the mid point of the test, we anchored up for a couple of hours and enjoyed lunch and a swim. For all the Lagoon 60’s fine sailing I felt it was this that truly showcased the potential of this yacht; its supremely comfortable and large enough to be both a sociable space but also allow you the space to unwind in a quiet corner. As with all Lagoons, you’re not going to win a Transatlantic race, but you’ll get there without any fuss and once you arrive, you’ll have the most comfortable yacht in the anchorage.

Comfort: 5/5

Performance: 4/5

Lagoon 60 Specifications

Hull length: 18.27m (59’11”)

Length overall: 19.77m (64’10”)

Beam overall: 9.87m (32’5”)

Naval architect: VPLP Design

Exterior design: Patrick le Quément

Interior design: Nauta Design

Water draft: 1.65 m (5’55”)

Air draft: 30m (98’5”)

Light displacement: 34.6 T (76,293 Lbs)

Sails area upwind: 222 m² (2,389 sq ft)

Genoa: 87 m² (936 sq ft)

Contact: catamarans-lagoon.com

Alternative boats

Fountaine Pajot Samana 59

This Berret Racoupeau design is narrower and lighter than the Lagoon 60 but is clearly designed with comfort in mind – boating the biggest flybridge in her class according to the manufacturers.

catamarans-fountaine-pajot.com

A catamaran that places luxury squarely above performance. This is a big, spacious and very comfortable cat that can easily be optimised for skippered charter. Intriguingly, the 60 is available with electric motors as standard, which is a real revolutionary touch.

sunreef-catamrans.com

Privilege Signature 580

Privilege edges closer to the performance market, offering an interesting compromise between luxury and speed. This Marc Lombard design is lighter and marginally narrower than the 60.

privilege-marine.com

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Offering a wealth of practical advice and a dynamic mix of in-depth boat, gear and equipment news, Sailing Today is written cover to cover by sailors, for sailors. Since its launch in 1997, the magazine has sealed its reputation for essential sailing information and advice.

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Less than a month to go for the 2024 A-Class Catamaran World Champs in Tuscany

Less than a month to go for the 2024 A-Class Catamaran World Championships in Tuscany, and the Centro Velico Punta Ala is once again setting a new record for the number of participants!

From September 7th to 14th , Tuscany will once again take center stage in the world of sailing. The world’s top A-Class skippers will compete in the Gulf of Follonica for the World Championship title in one of the oldest and most active single-handed catamaran classes. The A-Class World Championships returns to the Centro Velico Punta Ala after nine years, at the PuntAla Camp & Resort .

With a total of 184 boats registered from 20 different nations , this event is shaping up to be the largest single-handed multihull event in the world this year, featuring one of the biggest fleets of catamarans ever assembled, even surpassing those at the Olympics. The fleet is evenly divided between the Classic and Open categories, with Italy representing the largest contingent with about 41 boats, followed by Germany with 26 entries. This marks a new record for the Centro Velico Punta Ala , which, after the success of EurILCA and the Finn World Masters, is hosting the final and most spectacular sailing event of the season. The event will feature not only ultralight and incredibly fast boats, but also the presence of world-renowned sailors , some of whom are part of America’s Cup teams, while others are Olympic athletes.

From young talents under 25 to the more experienced Great Grand Masters over 56, participants will compete for the title in two categories : the A Classics, which represent the tradition and pure essence of sailing, and the Foil, modern flying catamarans that defy the laws of physics with their ability to “fly” over the water. This distinction between the two categories was established right here in Punta Ala, where in 2015, a historic vote was held during the IACA general assembly. The decision to retain Rule 8, which limited the use of daggerboards, was passed by a narrow margin, stabilizing the future of the class and leading to the creation of the two current categories, now officially designated by World Sailing: Open (Foiling) and Classic (Non Foiling) .

In both the Open and Classic categories, there are several high-profile athletes to watch.

In the Open category , the reigning champion, Kuba Surowiec (POL 41), is ready to defend his hard-won title. Among the top contenders is Mischa Heemskerk (NED 007 ), a dominant force in the fleet and multiple world champion contenders. He’s expected to bring some secret weapon as he aims for his 4th World title, leveraging his blend of technical skill and innovative strategies. Darren Bundock (AUS 88), a multiple Olympic medalist and America’s Cup veteran, is another key competitor. Despite his illustrious career, the world title has always eluded him, making him even more determined this year. Among the Italians, Lamberto Cesare (ITA 13), who placed 10th in Toulon, stands out, as does newcomer Marco Anessi (ITA 7), who has already claimed the gold medal at the Italian Championships in his debut year in the A-Class.

In the Classic category , Olympic veteran and reigning champion Scott Anderson (AUS 31) will defend the title he reclaimed in Toulon after an incredible 37-year hiatus. Key challengers include European champion Gustavo Doreste (ESP 72) and three-time world champion Andrew Landenberger (AUS 308), who will be competing on a new boat. Notable Italians include Marco Radman (ITA 55), who finished fifth in Toulon, and Alberto Farnesi (SWE 59), who excels in strong wind conditions.

With such a prestigious lineup of participants, the competition promises to be intense and closely contested, with many contenders ready to battle for the world title. Unlike recent sailing events where everything hinges on a single final race, here the champion will be the sailor who accumulates the fewest points overall, setting the stage for what could be an epic race.

To make the event even more legendary is the enchanting location of PuntAla Camp & Resort , with the island of Elba on the horizon and a sandy beach free of obstacles or rocks. While there may be some swell, the sea is deep enough to avoid short, choppy waves, and there will be numerous assistants on hand to ensure safety.

This delightful resort, nestled in a fragrant pine forest on the Tuscan coast, will transform into a sort of “Olympic village,” offering a welcoming and safe environment for participants and companions, with the opportunity to gather the fleets on the beach, which will serve as a parking area for the boats. The resort boasts restaurants offering delicious local food and wine, as well as a special program for companions and a fantastic post-regatta program, ensuring fun for everyone.

It promises to be a truly unforgettable event.

FOR INFO, SCHEDULE & LOGISTIC INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: https://www.centrovelicopuntaala.it/en/a-cat-world-championship/

@centrovelicopuntaala

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Easton 42 aluminium daggerboard cruising catamaran For Sale
Easton 42 aluminium daggerboard cruising catamaran For Sale
Easton 42 aluminium daggerboard cruising catamaran For Sale
Easton 42 aluminium daggerboard cruising catamaran For Sale
Easton 42 aluminium daggerboard cruising catamaran For Sale
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9 Best Cruising Catamarans With Daggerboards or Centerboards!
The best cruising catamarans with daggerboards or centerboards provide great cruising capability, comfortable living, ease of handling, and strong construction. Based on different styles, designs, sizes, and prices, some of the best catamarans are Outremer 45, Catana 50, and Balance 526. If catamaran cruising is a passion you have been longing ...
Catamaran basics The daggerboards: understanding and adjusting them
Having a catamaran with daggerboards means enjoying better pointing ability than an equivalent model equipped with fixed stub keels, which are inevitably shorter. It means that you can also optimize drag, speed and even safety. Partially integrated, with foils...an inventory of the daggerboards on our boats and how to use these appendages.
Daggerboards: how to adjust them on your catamaran
When sailing upwind the daggerboards provide resistance and lift under the water to balance out the sideways effort force from the sail above the water. In more simple terms, daggerboards help the boat move forward rather than sideways when sailing upwind. Therefore, when sailing upwind, the assumed best practice is to have the daggerboards down.
Why Daggerboards Make Sense over a Fixed Keel
Your sails, keels, daggerboards and rudders when moving forward into the wind create high pressure of the windward side, and low pressure on the leeward side, and the boat is pulled forward, into the wind. Because the foil directs the boat around the curve of the foil, the boat is lifted forward, and to windward. This is also why airplanes fly.
What Are Daggerboards on a Catamaran? (An In-Depth Look)
The use of daggerboards can significantly improve the performance of a catamaran in light wind conditions and is a key component of sailing catamarans. By raising and lowering the daggerboards, the skipper can adjust the center of effort on the boat, allowing for greater maneuverability and control.
A fast semi custom Italian cruising catamaran with daggerboards from
Comar's new Francois Perus design with C-foil daggerboards is a tempting blend of speed and comfort, from a yard known for their performance cruising Comet m...
Seawind 1600 Passagemaker
Designed for extended ocean crossings, the Seawind 1600 Passagemaker has all of the cruising practicality you would expect from a new Seawind catamaran, but delivered on long and fast performance hulls. High aspect deep retracting rudders and daggerboards offer performance and practicality - this catamaran sailboat tacks easily and is a nimble ...
Performance cruisers: the best new catamarans for racing and fast
HH Catamarans has been turning heads since 2012 with a line of sporty, high-tech boats that feature a luxury fit-out. What started off on the drawing board as a fast 48ft cruising cat has grown to ...
Daggerboards
The majority of today's cruising catamarans are equipped with mini keels for reliable and hassle-free operation. There are fewer than a handful of production daggerboard catamarans, which provide the sailor slightly more pointing ability and other advantages as illustrated in previous chapters. ... Marking the daggerboards at deck level will ...
Catamaran Daggerboards and Keels
Woods 36 Vardo with Keels. So there's the two factors: one is the the sea kindliness of having daggerboards, and the other is the better performance. A daggerboarded boat is always better, but it does have some disadvantages. The main one is that if you want to beach your boat or dry it out.
HH44 Performance Sailing Catamaran Review
There are 2 versions, like much of the HH range. The Sports Cruising model: HH44-SC and the Ocean Cruising model: HH44-OC. The SC version is a "no-compromise-boat" with C-shaped carbon daggerboards, a carbon rig, a painted hull finish and 4,232 watts of solar with EcoDrive.
CATAMARAN DESIGN: Daggerboards on Catamarans
Daggerboards. Do you really need them on a cruising cat? Or is just for all the racers? In the second of our Technical Tuesday series on Catamaran design we ...
Which catamarans have daggerboards? ⋆ SailHow
After researching catamarans we have made a list of catamarans with daggerboards. Performance means a great deal for us, so we are looking at the pros and cons of daggerboards, and would like to share our knowledge in this article. ... French-built catamaran. Well sailing and luxurious. Outremer; Also French catamaran. Reviews are pretty good ...
Some Common Centerboard and Daggerboard Designs
In the case of the Seward 46RK, the daggerboard, or lifting keel, is comprised of a solid polyester composite, with a fiberglass skin and a series of stainless rods running the length of the foil to both increase stiffness and carry a 7,500lb cast-lead ballast bulb. An electric motor, operated by a set of buttons at the mast, raises and lowers ...
How We Do: Daggerboards
Every single HH Catamaran daggerboard goes into our monster testing jig and we apply the full force of the known working load to fly a hull with two reefs and the two times "dynamic load factor". So, an HH66 board gets tested to a staggering 17,000kg, which is really scary. Even with our new HH50, the boards are tested all the way to 10 tons.
Daggerboards or Mini Keels for Catamarans?
The difference in windward performance between fixed keels and daggerboards on cruising cats varies depending on the conditions. In very light airs the daggerboards have a clear advantage, providing reduced wetted area and greater lift at angles of attack where a large percentage of the fixed keel's area is likely to be suffering from flow ...
Daggerboards vs Centerboards
Daggerboards can vary in shape whether asymmetrical or even curved therefore increasing lift while sailing. Our daggerboards are also push-button line driven for easy handling, however, they retract into a much smaller bearing box oriented for vertical deployment thus reducing the disturbed water turbulence.
Sailing Catamarans
Currently I own two catamarans, one with daggerboards and one with keels. Over the last 30 years I have owned five cruising catamarans with keels, nine with daggerboards and one with one centerboard. Furthermore, I am one of the few designers who has fitted LAR keels and boards to the same hull (on Strider, Sagitta and Banshee) and then sailed ...
The Cruising Catamaran Performance Debate
As veteran sailors know, sailing upwind with a cruising catamaran without daggerboards is hard to do because the boat makes a lot of leeway. Performance-oriented catamarans, however can easily achieve this since they are a different breed altogether and can indeed sail at breakneck speeds, point upwind, sail in a whisper of a breeze and tack on a dime.
How To Create the Perfect Cruising Catamaran Layout
A cruising catamaran's performance depends on three main aspects; its length, the sail area, and the boat's weight. Long boats are generally fast. A light boat with more sail area is also faster than a heavier boat with less sail area. ... Daggerboards vs. Fixed Keels. Average cruising catamarans typically utilize fixed keels while high ...
6 Best Performance Cruising Catamarans (Buyer's Guide)
The Outremer 4x is a stable and comfortable high-speeding cruising catamaran that performs ocean crossings and confronts any weather with remarkable ease. Named the European Boat of the Year in 2017, this 48-foot (14.6 m) bluewater cruiser sails faster than wind speed and attains maximum cruising speeds of 20 knots.. The 4x is an upgrade of the extremely popular Outremer 45, thus retaining ...
Heavy Weather Strategies When Sailing a Catamaran
High-performance cruising cats: High-performance cruising catamarans typically have efficient daggerboards or centerboards, deeper rudders, less windage and less displacement. They can go to windward at a 45-50 degree TWA in nearly all conditions. A performance cruising catamaran can typically outsail even the best keelboats to windward.
Review: Windelo 50, SAIL Top 10 Best Boats 2025 Nominee
When I met them to go sailing, they had moved aboard and were preparing to cruise the East Coast and Bahamas. ... The daggerboards were about 25% down, adding a bit of grip upwind. These boards, which helped the boat point higher, and her high, 35-inch bridge clearance are among the features that separate the Windelo from more basic production ...
Why Is There No List of Catamarans With Daggerboards?
Daggerboards are meant to be used only when sailing to windward, and generally only fully deployed when sailing to windward in very light conditions. In heavy conditions they are raised, and make the boat LESS likely to capsize. There have been many production cruising catamarans with daggerboards. Gunboats, Chris White Atlantics, Outremers ...
Cruising Cat Racing Franco Style
Marc Guillemot's 53-foot MG5 catamaran is a cruising and trans-Atlantic-capable race yacht that he presses into Caribbean racing duty. ... Damien Seguin supplied the daggerboards; ...
Boat Test: New Luxurious Multihull Lagoon 60
Lagoon 60: Double the pleasure. Lagoon catamarans is without doubt the biggest cruising multihull manufacturer in the world and their yachts are ubiquitous be it in the South Seas or the South Coast of England. The manufacturer states that there are around 7,000 Lagoons bobbing around on the oceans. The secret of their success could probably best pinned on their consistency of purpose; the ...
Less than a month to go for the 2024 A-Class Catamaran World Champs in
From young talents under 25 to the more experienced Great Grand Masters over 56, participants will compete for the title in two categories: the A Classics, which represent the tradition and pure essence of sailing, and the Foil, modern flying catamarans that defy the laws of physics with their ability to "fly" over the water.This distinction between the two categories was established right ...

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What Are Daggerboards on a Catamaran? (An In-Depth Look)

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What Are Daggerboards?

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Catamaran Daggerboards and Keels – Woods Interview # 9

Richard, can you start off with what dagger boards and keels do for a boat?

And there’s definitely a learning curve to knowing how to use the daggerboard effectively, and have that experience. So are they less of a beginner kind of attribute on a catamaran and more of a somebody who’s been sailing for a while?

I guess it was a sacrificial item!

Right. That’s what I’m thinking. Rather than hitting the reef with your boat, you hit it with something sacrificial. They can be expensive to replace, but…

I guess that’s why multihulls became so much more popular in the UK before other places.

Well that’s cool. So thank you Richard, that was fascinating on daggerboards and keels.

By Diane Selkirk

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