Fast cat has boaties purring

Press, 1 February 1983, Page 16

Fast cat has boaties purring

This inflatable catamaran, dwarfed by yachts a thousand times its price, proved one of the unexpected stars of this year’s Boat Show at Earl’s Court, in London. The Catapult, a high-speed, high-tech craft, weighs only 1651 b and easily fits on and in a small car. Its claim to fame is that you can put it together in half-an-hour, stick it in the water, and sail off at up to 17 knots with great stability and exhilaration. Catapult is the result of six years of research and development by Jon Montgomery, a self-confessed catamaran addict who designed his first twin-hulled boat more than 20 years ago. Sailing inflatables and bolttogether catamarans exist already, but often they are clumsy or-don’t sail well. The sailing world is intrigued by the way Montgomery has used lightweight engineering technology to produce an elegant solution to the week-end sailor's dream: the instant boat. The secret is in his use of extremely strong but light materials that are able to

take the strains imposed on a high-performance craft. Catapult’s main frames are of aluminium alloy, the streamlined hulls are of tough coated nylon, with im-pact-resistant bow fairings, and the deck is of woven nylon fabric. The biggest parts are 15ft long. The boat costs about $4OOO and is unrigged (only one sail, that is), with a wishbone boom, and has a unique mast-raising system which helps assembly and ensures rapid, safe righting after capsize. She is 16ft long, with a 7ft beam, and can take three adults comfortably. The twin dagger boards and rudder blades are engineered for automatic retraction on beaching. Because Catapult is so light, a much smaller rig than would normally be needed for a catamaran of this size can be used — a sail of 10 square metres. This gives advantages in assembly, handling, and sailing speed. She handles predictably and is difficult to topple over compared with .conventional cats. The high wishbone boom is of novel design, giving adjus-

tability, light weight, and avoidence of a traditional sailing hazard — getting your head bashed. Montgomery, aged 48, who learned his engineering in the R.A.F. and the motor industry, has been fascinated by catamarans since the 19605, when he designed boats with his father. “My design works because I’m a

catamaran specialist, rather than a designer of inflatables who has decided to make a catamaran. You need to know the principles of the catamaran." He spent a year seeking $260,000 to set up in business. A government-sponsored

venture capital scheme provided $llO,OOO and his own bank came up with the rest. He found premises in a Birmingham enterprise zone and took on two unemployed men. Now the first 30 boats are ready: he calls them fully house-trained cats.

By

DAVID GWYN JONES

“Sunday Times,” London