RYA Tactics
The perfect Tactical xmas present for your helm or crew
Personally signed by the author
RYA Tactics by Mark Rushall sheds a new light on the complexities of sailboat racing. No other sport requires the combination of so many elements – preparation, strategy, speed, tuning and most importantly tactics. However, it’s good tactics which can so often be that elusive missing skill.
As one of the sports top tacticians and coaches, and 2006 RYA Squad Coach of the Year, Mark’s book will help you sail better and improve your results. With easy to follow and logical diagrams, this book breaks new ground in presenting this essential and complex element of our sport.
“Covering almost every conceivable tactical situation, the book is a real tour de force by Rushall….yet comprises one of the easiest to read tactical situation books we have come across.” The Daily Sail, 1 May 07
“This book has come about from years of sailing and coaching at the highest level by an extremely analytical person. Mark …. is one of those annoying people who learnt from every sailing / coaching experience and has built an extensive memory bank of tactical scenarios and understanding.”
Chips Howarth, Fireball World Champion 2005
Tactics is the most comprehensive and accessible guide to racing yet. Providing an awesome and unique insight of sailboat tactics, it breaks down the race to tell you exactly what to think about, how and when to do it, and most importantly, why you should be doing it! No matter what your level of racing experience, you’ll have something to learn from Mark Rushall….”
Georgie Corlett, Editor, Dinghy Sailing Magazine
Start your 2008 season ready prepared and don’t go afloat without having read RYA Tactics.
Order your personally signed copy from www.rushall.net or for UK delivery send a cheque for £16 including P&P to:
Mark Rushall Tactics
Watermark Offices, 8 Lumley Gardens, Lumley Road, Emsworth, Hants, PO10 8AG, UK
International orders – please email tactics@rushall.net and postage rates will be advised.
Also available from www.rya.org.uk and most leading chandleries and book stores.
ENDS
Yacht Types
Our Yachts - Your Home
A succesful yachting holiday depends, of course, on the quality of your yacht itself. We pride ourselves on a range of craft to suit everyone - from a couple of first-time sailors to a large group of friends.
Yacht sizes vary, as do ages and prices, but you can always be sure that our teams of engineers have lovingly prepared your yacht for your holiday. Each yacht is equipped with a standard inventory of vital equipment, while some of our newer yachts come with added features.
To help you decide on your ideal boat, you can easily compare yachts, showing up to three alternatives alongside each other.
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 292 View Page |
|
| Moody S31 View Page |
|
| Beneteau Oceanis 320 View Page |
|
| Beneteau 323 View Page |
|
| Beneteau 331 View Page |
|
| Beneteau 343 View Page |
|
| Beneteau 361 View Page |
|
| Beneteau 373 View Page |
|
| Moody S38 View Page |
|
| Beneteau 393 View Page |
|
| Dufour 34 (Twin Head) View Page |
|
| Dufour 34 View Page |
|
| Dufour 325 View Page |
Dinghy Sailing
On a Neilson dinghy sailing holiday, everyone is welcome, from complete beginners to enthusiastic improvers and accomplished experts looking for sunshine and the best conditions. Our approach to dinghy sailing tuition, and the type and quantity of equipment varies from club to club, ensuring that whatever your needs we have a holiday to suit your requirements perfectly.
Sailing means many things to different people. Some like to potter around over crystal clear waters while others crave the excitement of zooming across the waves on a high performance skiff.
Whatever your level of experience, the sense of freedom that comes from sailing is hard to beat. We offer the best boats, instructors and sailing areas together with free RYA training courses, enabling you to step aboard and take advantage of our 25 years of sailing experience.
Dinghy Sailing Tuition
National Sailing Scheme
We work closely with the RYA in developing the National Sailing Scheme. This progressive approach to tuition provides a tried-and-tested way to learn to sail. Holidays shouldn’t feel like school, so we endeavour to make everything from your first taster to high performance race techniques, as much fun as possible!
Start Sailing - Level 1
Great for those new to learn to sail holidays, Level 1 provides a comprehensive introduction to dinghy sailing. It is designed to get you on the water using modern, single-handed dinghies and requires no previous experience.
The course covers a wide variety of skills to enable you to sail confidently such as; wind awareness, rigging basics, knots and sailing theory.
Start Sailing is available in all of our centres.
Basic Skills - Level 2
Level 2 aims to fine-tune the skills and boat handling manoeuvres learnt at Level 1. The course sets out the foundations of sailing with the aim of producing competent light wind sailors who are able to sail and make informed decisions in good conditions.
You can expect to learn more advanced techniques in a variety of craft including; rigging according to weather conditions, coming alongside a moored boat, capsize recovery and essential safety background.
Try Finikounda – Great for the progressing beginner. Holiday sailing at it’s best!
Seamanship Skills
Moving on from Basic Skills, the main focus of this course is fine-tuning skills already learnt and boat handling manoeuvres, whilst increasing your self-reliance and decision making skills.
Day Sailing
We are able to endorse most sections of this course, enabling competent sailors to confidently plan and execute a safe day cruise, aspects covered include pilotage, interpretation of charts and use of GPS.
Finikounda is the main place to go for day sailing.
Sailing with Spinnakers
Sailing with Spinnakers teaches you how to sail a dinghy rigged with an asymmetric or symmetric spinnaker and some trapezing.
Try Porto Heli for a fantastic destination for a sailing holiday with tuition.
Start Racing
You will learn to race a variety of craft from single handers to performance boats. The aim is to gain a good understanding of the rules and techniques of racing, including the course and starting sequence, boat preparation, tactics and racing rules.
Performance Sailing
This is an advanced course for experienced sailors using high performance craft and covers a range of sessions including rigging, tuning, teamwork, trapezing, hiking, tacking and downwind sailing.
Porto Heli is the ideal place for performance sailing.
Dinghy Sailing Equipment
Advances in design and technology have continued to make dinghy sailing easier and more enjoyable than ever before. We've selected tghe best craft from leading British manufacturers Laser and RS, equipping our clubs with a range of kit to suit local wind and conditions.
Laser Funboats
Stable, safe and fun! Perfect for children. Available in all centres except Dahab
Laser Pico
A perfect beginners’ boat with easy-to-use controls. Available in all centres
Laser 1
The classic Olympic class single hander. Exciting sailing. Available in all centres except Vassiliki
Laser 2000
A popular boat for families and friends looking for a stable hull but no shortage of features.
Available in Halkidiki, Sivota, Ortakent, Finikounda and Porto Heli,
Laser 3000
A performance machine ideally suited to teenagers and lighter crews. Fast action with a spinnaker and trapeze. Available in Finikounda
Laser Bahia
A stable and spacious cockpit with space for up to 5 adults, together with a light hull and large gennaker makes a great day sail and cruising boat, with a performance edge.
Available in Lemnos and Lesvos
Laser 4000
Serious fun in the fast lane. A high performance skiff with adjustable racks and a large sail area. With tuition and practice, the 4000 flies. Available in Finikounda and Porto Heli
Laser Stratos
A good size family cruiser, the Stratos is ideal for day sailing, combining stability and performance features.Available in Lemnos, Lesvos, Halkidiki, Finikounda and Porto Heli
Laser Vago XD
Unmatched handling, versatility and exhilarating performance are harnessed by Laser in a unique modern design with high spec sails and trapeze. Available in Lemnos, Lesvos and Dahab
Dart 16
A popular catamaran equally at home pottering around on a day sail or on a trapezing joyride. The Dart 16 is a firm favourite in our centres. Available in all centres
Optimist
The definitive youth racer, the Optimist has traditionally been the first step on the road to success for competitive young sailors. Available in Porto Heli and Finikounda
RS Feva
A versatile dinghy, introducing several advanced features on a user friendly craft suited to younger sailors.Available in Finikounda, Porto Heli, Lemnos and Lesvos
RS 200
An easy to sail dinghy that brings the excitement of asymmetric sailing to everybody, including lighter sailors and youngsters. Available in Porto Heli
RS 400
LDC’s modern classic, a hiking asymmetric. The ultimate choice for the ambitious improver.
Available in Porto Heli
RS 500
Exciting performance with a simple user friendly layout and easy handling.Available in Porto Heli
RS 800
An exciting high performance skiff with twin trapeze that is remarkably easy for competent sailors to master.Available in Porto Heli and Finikounda
29er
A fast, exciting ride, the 29er is a high performance boat ideally suited to light weight sailors and youth racing.Available in Porto Heli
Children and Sailing Holidays
Hot Shots provides RYA tuition for 8-12 year olds whilst Starfish, Sea Urchins, Surfbusters and Sharksters provide fun for younger children and those less inclined to get out on the water.
Hot Shots
The water based activity club, for those that want it all: sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, snorkelling and plenty of sunshine, Hot Shots is the place to be.
Our fully qualified instructors help your youngsters master new skills and get first timers confident in no time at all. In-fact all our RYA qualified instructors will help your Hot Shots improve quickly, with the RYA Youth Sailing Awards, available to those who want to prove their skills.
When not out on the water, Hot Shots enjoy loads of land-based activities and making new friends has never been easier.
If your children are particularly interested in dinghy sailing, they will benefit from choosing a resort that specialises in that particular activity, such as Porto Heli
Hot Shots is open to all children ages 8-12 years and is available for a supplement of £80-£150 per week with the second week half price.
Where to go
Hot Shots is avilable in Lemnos, Finikounda, Vassiliki, Porto Heli and Dahab.
When not in our clubs, children under the age of 13 are welcome to windsurf with their parents. Children must be 13 years or over before they can join the adult windsurfing programme.
Flotilla Holidays
Flotilla Holidays - Another day. Another destination.
Explore hidden treasures every day; share your adventures in the evening with fellow sailors.
Life on flotilla is a holiday that just gets better every day.
Flotilla sailing holidays allow you to enjoy the independence of sailing your very own yacht from port to port during the day, but you also get to choose between pleasant evenings in the warm company of your fellow sailors, or spending them peacefully on your own deck.
On arrival
The Neilson Team will be there to greet you on arrival and show you to your yacht. Your lead crew will then join you on board to answer any questions you may have, show you where everything is and just check that everything is ship shape.
The remainder of the afternoon and evening is then yours to spend as you wish - enjoy a refreshing drink on deck, get to know some of your fellow sailors, explore the local area or stock up on any additional provisioning you require. You are then fully prepared for the start of your adventure the following day.
A day in the life…
As the morning sun peeps over your bow, your lead crew will join you for a chat about the day ahead, confirming the evening’s destination together with some great places to explore and idyllic lunch stops. Then as soon as everything’s ready, you’re free to slip your lines and set sail.
It’s entirely up to you and your crew how you reach your destination. You may want to race there before everybody else or meander there, anchoring for a lunch break and swim in a secluded bay. With the yacht to yourself, the day is yours to enjoy as you please. And if you wish to hook up with other parties on your flotilla they’re just a VHF radio call away - as is your lead crew, in case you need any help or advice.
As the afternoon drifts into evening and you glide into port, your lead crew will be waiting ashore to help you into your mooring, catch your lines and point out the location of shower facilities, bars and tavernas at your latest destination.
As the sun sets, you can settle in at one of the local tavernas, swapping stories with your fellow sailors over a bottle of wine and a hearty local meal. Of course, if all that sailing and sightseeing has taken it out of you, you can simply stay on your yacht and cook a meal in your own galley. That’s the beauty of flotilla holidays.
Your Yachting Experience
Our flotilla holidays in Greece and Croatia flotilla holidays require varying levels of confidence and experience due to the different routes and wind conditions in each area. It is important you select the right area for your party to ensure your safety and enjoyment.
The minimum experience we require on a flotilla holiday is that at least two people aboard each yacht are aged 18 years or over and must have had several day's active experience in charge of a yacht.
If this level of experience cannot be satisfied a Stay and Sail holiday, coupled with an Introduction to Yachting or Brush Up training course should be completed
Skippered Charter
If you want to regain your confidence afloat or just share the beginning of your flotilla with a like-minded sailor then you can pre book a member of the Neilson yacht team to join you on a skippered charter. They will spend the day with you, sailing from one place to another before retiring to the lead boat in the evening, allowing your party the privacy to enjoy some time alone. This option is available for one to three days for a supplement of £100 per yacht per day.
Please note, this option is not suitable for beginners who should complete an Introduction to Yachting course.
Bareboat Charter
Our Bareboat sailing holidays gives more experienced sailors the freedom to sail where, when and however they please. No itinerary, no set routes and no one to bother you. Bareboat holidays are the ultimate getaway.
Plot your own route around the many picturesque bays, lively little harbour towns and fishing villages scattered about the coastlines of our huge sailing areas. Spend as long as you like at any stop, return to your favourite places over and over, or keep on the move to discover something new around every point.
Of course, since you’re with Neilson you’ll still have the benefit of our expertise. Before you depart, our bareboat co-ordinator will go through the route you’ve planned, pointing out the highlights of your journey. And it’s always worth picking their brains, because they often have a nugget of advice that could really make your holiday. And naturally, they’ll also call or text you each morning to pass on weather conditions and check that everything on the yacht is as it should be.
All of our Bareboat holidays are provided with the following:
• Full tanks of diesel, water and gas
• Marine insurance
• Flights and transfers
• Comprehensive tools and spares
• A quick fix manual for everyday repair and maintenance
• Handheld GPS
• Additional charts and pilot book
• Mobile phone and charger
• Extra warps
• Starter pack
• No damage waiver or deposit to pay
Bareboat Holidays support Includes:
• A dedicated bareboat co-ordinator
• A full skipper and engineer’s briefing
• Details of all flotilla routes, staff and contact numbers
Experience Levels
When booking bareboat holidaywe ask that at least two people aboard are aged 18 years or over and have plenty of sailing knowledge and experience, having been in charge of a sailing vessel for several cruises, possibly on previous flotilla holidays. Both must be comfortable sailing in a range of conditions. If this level of experience cannot be satisfied, a flotilla holiday may be more appropriate.
Sail Training Courses
Yacht Training Courses
It’s not as hard as you might imagine to pick up the skills to navigate a yacht around the Mediterranean coastline. With our tried and tested courses and fantastic yacht trainers, you will be sailing with confidence in no time at all. We offer a number of courses to suit all ages and abilities.
Introduction to Yachting - four days
A course designed to be fun but informative, equipping complete beginners with the knowledge and skills necessary to skipper their own yacht on flotilla.
The syllabus we follow is based on the RYA Keelboat Level 2 certificate. After having completed the course, followed by a second week on flotilla, most new sailors will be awarded their RYA Level 2 certificate.
The skills needed can be learnt in four days with tuition from our Royal Yachting Association qualified instructors. Whilst covering the necessary manoeuvres you will be hopping from pontoon to quayside to bay to harbour. Occasionally stopping for picnics, taverna lunches or swimming, there will be time to digest all that you are learning at a relaxed but steady pace.
A maximum of five guests will train per yacht with an instructor.
At the end of your course you’ll feel confident and competent enough to skipper your own yacht within a flotilla environment. Your lead crew will be aware of your training and will be on hand to offer their full support during your week afloat.
Brush-Up Course - two days
Ideal for those with a basic or fading knowledge of sailing, or experienced dinghy sailors looking to make the step to big boat sailing. This course is tailored around your existing experience and looks to build your ability to sail confidently once more. You will spend two days with one of our RYA instructors who will assist you in practising and reviewing the skills you wish to improve.
The Brush-Up course can also be suitable for confident, advanced dinghy sailors who sail regularly at a high level. This course enables you to transfer your well-practised dinghy skills onto a larger class of boat. Beginner or intermediate dinghy sailors should book the Introduction to Yachting course.
Private Courses - Ideal for Families
Our Private Introduction to Yachting and Brush-Up courses are designed for groups or families who wish to learn together, on the same yacht, up to a maximum of five people. The course content is the same as detailed previously but you are guaranteed to be learning as one group without having to share your training yacht with another party.
The added advantage of a private course is that we can welcome 13 to 15 year olds aboard when accompanied by a parent. Younger sailors will relish the opportunity to learn with their family as a forerunner to the flotilla week of their holiday.
Private courses are priced per yacht at four times the cost of the individual course.
One Week Learn to Sail
If you can only get away on holiday for one week or spending two weeks learning to sail is not an option for you, then our One week Learn to Sail holiday is a perfect solution - half the week will be spent at one of our yacht bases living on your yacht whilst learning to sail on the Introduction to Yachting course. For the second part of the week, you will join your fellow sailors on flotilla.
Sailing Holidays
Sailing Holidays are great for those who like to remain active on their vacation.
Plans to drop cats as a youth class
The RYA has recently made submissions to ISAF to remove the catamaran as a youth boat for 2009, and to remove the catamaran as an Olympic boat for 2012.
These submissions by the RYA were made without any consultation with the sailing community. We request that the submissions are withdrawn before the ISAF conference in early November and replaced by alternative submissions which support the use of catamarans both in future Olympics (2012 and beyond) and for youth training.
CATAMARANS OUT OF OLYMPICS
Amazingly the ISAF Council voted the Multihull out after the Events Committee had recommended that the cats stay in.
starter Boat for 7 year old
My sister wants to get her seven year old into sailing, the Oppi would seem to be the obvious choice but waht about some of the newer designs like Tera, Taz, Open etc ?
Dinghy Sailing in the Midlands
OK a bit cold this time of year
, but I am looking for ideaas for presents for my partner.
Sailing Holidays
Ok help required, girl friend just arrived home for pile of holiday brochures. Usual girlie things of lying on the beach. I really want to do a sailing holiday, try out some new boats etc, can anyone help with experiences of Sunsail type holidays ?
New to Dinghy Sailing
I am looking to start Dinghy Sailing in the new year, will I learn anything by going to the boat show ?, or are there any good sailing magazines to read ?
Catamaran Sailing
Is catamaran sailing better than dinghy sailing?
Yacht Charter
Although I love dinghy sailing, thought I would try some yachting. Some friends are looking at bareboat charter.
Laser 4.7, Radial or Laser Standard
Thinking about a new sailing dinghy after my Topper Lasers seem to be the most popular, but am I best with 4.7 or Radial, what about the Olympic one
Sailing in Spain
Where is the best place for sailing in Spain
BBC Sport Personality of Year
Very disappointing not to see any sailors or any sailing action covered on last night's awards. Plenty of successes this year
Sailing Videos
We have now included videos of sailing action, these can be found at
Winter Sailing Clothing
Gosh wasn't it cold this weekend, my hands were really frozen, any ideas of the best winter sailing gloves ?
NEW Boats for Sale and Gear For Sale Section
SailRacer now has a new For Sale section, here you will find 000s of items For Sale
You can advertsie for FREE, now is the time of year to clear out your garage of all those unused sailing items. There are sections for Boats, Sails, Gear, Clothing, Trailers and TrolleysWhy have the RYA decided to launch a race results
In the past, the RYA have asked clubs to send in their data at the end of every year. The data captured is limited and often open to subjectivity and goes through little validation by the RYA before being used in the statistical number crunching. After a very detailed review of the PYS by the RYA, it was highlighted that the data been captured by the RYA was become less and less meaningful, which was being reflected in the declining amount of returns being received by the RYA.
By launching the RYA Race results website, in collaboration with Simon Lovesey and SailRacer, the RYA are starting to increase the accuracy and meaningfulness of the data being collected by going straight to the source; individual race results. By asking clubs to upload their race results, the RYA are getting raw race data. The raw race data is also being subjected to an analysis in accordance with the RYA guidelines, which again increases the accuracy of the data being returned.
In summary, the RYA hope to collect more data, which is more meaningful to clubs as well as nationally, and start to increase the sailing publics confidence in the system and the numbers published by the RYA.
Problem with Race Dates
Using Sailwave, I've combined all the results from every series (some 40 races) and purged any duplicates, etc. and uploaded the file via Sailwave to the site.
When I try to import each race file I get the 'Enter Race Date' message. No matter what I try it gets rejected. The error messages shows any date either entered or chosen from the Calendar as 1/12/2010 for example 1-DEC-2009=1/12/2010.
I've tried to confuse the transformation by a date combination that might give me 12/1/2010 but with no success.
The dates of the races do not matter, but each race does need manual changes before benchmarking.
How do I get around this??
Barry McGibbon
Lyme Regis Sailing Club
Mods to Suggested Handicaps Page
Hi Simon,
Benchmarking – why have I never heard of it befo
I would like understand the arithmetic the website is using. Is it the same as the YR2 spreadsheet ? If I set the benchmark to a class, does it adjust the others in relation to the benchmark or does it use the SCT of the top 2/3 of the fleet as YR2 spreadsheet.
Does it ignore POOR PERFORMERS ?
Where is the manual you refer to.
Mike Swingler
Flushing Sailing Club
Incorrect Data - GIGO ?
I was intending to import all the race results for our club. I loaded a few but it then occured to me that I may be doing something which is causing PYS to spit out odd handicap information. Our club sails in two fleets, slow and fast, but the results are held in a single Sailwave file. Sailwave formats out the results for the two fleets so that they appear nicely separated on our web site. The slow and fast fleets often sail different courses so there is no correlation between the times recorded for each fleet.
Does PYS treat all the boats in a race as sailing the same course or does it "notice" the fleet information and treat them, in our case, as two separate sets of results and calculate the corrected and on a fleet basis ?
Kerry Stares
{{about
a type of boat or ship
the pharmacy benefit management company
Catamaran Corporation}} Image:Salem Ferry.JPG
thumb
right
The Salem Ferry Catamaran approaching its dock off Blaney Street in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts, USA. File:Chennai catamaran.jpg
right
thumb
A catamaran on the Marina Beach, Chennai, India File:Retro-Style Catamaran at Pulicat-Lake-South-India.jpg
thumb
A traditional catamaran at Pulicat Lake in South India File:St-Vaast Catamaran Wikimedia Commons.jpg
thumb
200px
right
Two catamaran sailboats, leaving Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue
Saint-Vaast Harbour A '''catamaran''' is a geometry-stabilized boat or ship. It is usually multihulled, consisting of two hull (watercraft)
hulls, or Vaka (sailing)
vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of Aka (sailing)
akas. Catamarans can be sail- or engine-powered. The word catamaran is derived from the Tamil language
Tamil word kattumaram (?????????), literally "tied wood".<ref name=nameoxford> {{cite web
last=
title=Oxford Dictionaries
url=http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/catamaran?q=catamaran
title=Catamaran
accessdate=2012-06-06
archiveurl= }}</ref><ref name=namefarlex> {{cite web
last=Farlex
title=The Free Dictionary by Farlex
url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/catamaran
title=Catamaran
accessdate=2012-06-06
archiveurl= }}</ref><ref name=namethompson>{{cite book
last = Thompson
first = Della
authorlink =
title = The Concise oxford dictionary
publisher = Oxford university press
series =
volume =
edition = 9th
location =
year = 1998
page = 205
isbn = 0198613202 }}</ref> Kattumaram refers to a geometrically-stabilized rowboat design popular among the Dravidian people. Its parts are usually referred to by the corresponding part-names of the Proa, a geometrically-stabilized sailboat design popular among the Oceanic people. Catamarans are a relatively recent introduction to the design of boats for both leisure and sport sailing, although they have been used since before recorded history among the Dravidian people, in South India, and independently{{Citation needed
date=May 2011}} in Oceania, where Polynesian culture
Polynesian catamarans and outrigger canoes allowed seafaring Polynesians to settle the world's most far-flung islands. In recreational sailing, catamarans, and multihulls in general, had been met by a degree of skepticism from Western sailors accustomed to more "traditional" monohull designs,<ref name="ban">{{cite web
url=http://www.ulstc.org/Herreshoff.html
title=The Spirit of the Times, November 24, 1877 (reprint)
author=L. Francis Herreshoff
publisher=Marine Publishing Co., Camden, Maine
archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080124161749/http://www.ulstc.org/Herreshoff.html
archivedate = 2008-01-24}}</ref> mainly because multihulls were based on, to them, completely alien and strange concepts, with balance based on geometry rather than weight distribution. However, the catamaran has arguably become the best design for fast ferries, because their speed, stability and large capacity are valuable. ==Multihull component terms== There are three terms that describe the components of modern multihulls. The term ''vaka'', like the related terms aka and ama (sailing)
ama, come from the Malay language
Malay and Malayo-Polynesian languages
Micronesian language group terms for parts of the outrigger canoe, and ''vaka'' can be roughly translated as canoe or main hull.<ref name=proaprimer> {{cite web
url=http://proafile.com/view/weblog/comments/a_primer_on_proas/
title=A primer on proas
accessdate=2007-10-30
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071008190526/http://proafile.com/view/weblog/comments/a_primer_on_proas/ <!--Added by H3llBot-->
archivedate=2007-10-08}}</ref> *Aka (sailing)
Aka<ref name=proaprimer /> – The aka of a multihull sailboat is a member of the framework that connects the hull to the ama(s) (outrigger). The term aka originated with the proa, but is also applied to modern trimarans. *Ama (sailing)
Ama<ref name=proaprimer /> – The term ama comes from the proa. The Vaka (sailing)
vaka is the main hull, the ama is the outrigger, and the aka<ref name=proaprimer /> or iako (Hawaiian) is the support connecting the two (not three) hulls. The term ama and aka have been widely applied to modern trimarans. *Vaka (sailing)
Vaka<ref name=proaprimer /> – A proa consists of a vaka, the main canoe-like hull; an ama, the outrigger; and akas, the poles connecting the ama to the vaka. :''Catamarans and trimarans share the same terminology, with a vakan, ama, and aka.<ref>{{cite web
url=http://www.tridarkaraider.com/
title=The Tridarka Raider
accessdate=2007-10-30 }}</ref>'' Semantically, the catamaran is a pair of ''Vaka'' held together by ''Aka'', whereas the trimaran is a central ''Vaka'', with ''Ama'' on each side, attached by ''Aka''. The above section reflects American usage.<ref>Trimaran#Multihull_component_terms</ref> In the UK these terms are seldom used. In Hawaiian, the main difference is the main hull or canoe is a ''Wa'a'' pronounced like ''va ah''. There is no plural in Hawaiian and so a double canoe, or two canoes joined together by ''Aka'' is a ''Wa'a Wa'a''. An area in lower Puna, Hawaii
Puna is called ''Wa'a Wa'a''. A comprehensive list of Hawaiian words for a boat is published by the Polynesian Voyaging Society.<ref>{{cite web
url=http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/ike/kalai_waa/parts.html
title=Polynesian Voyaging Society}}</ref> ==History== ===Polynesian cats=== File:Priests traveling across kealakekua bay for first contact rituals.jpg
thumb
right
A Polynesian catamaran While the English adventurer and buccaneer William Dampier was traveling around the world in search of business opportunities, he found himself on the south-western coast of India. He was the first to write in English about a kind of vessel he observed there. It was little more than a raft made of logs. ''{{quote
On the malabar Coast
coast of malabar," he wrote in 1697, "they call them Catamarans. These are but one Log, or two, sometimes of a sort of light Wood ... so small, that they carry but one Man, whose legs and breech are always in the Water.}}'' The vessels described by Dampier are still in use today on the coasts of South India. "kattumaram" literally means logs tied together. Today's kattumarams have about four logs tied together in a shallow arc to make a raft. The logs are usually from a local, fibrous palm tree. Typically the raft is untied and logs are scattered to dry out before reuse. Although the name came from Tamil, the one-hull-ballasted sailboat variant is from Australasia
South Pacific. English visitors applied the Tamil name catamaran to the swift, stable sail and paddle boats made out of two widely separated logs and used by Polynesian natives to get from one island to another. ===Older European cats=== The larger Hellenistic polyremes ("sixteens", "twenties", "thirties" and one "forty") were most likely double-hulled catamarans.<ref>Lionel Casson (1969): "The Super-Galleys of the Hellenistic Age", ''Mariner's Mirror'', Vol. 55, pp. 185-193</ref> Two such super-galleys built by the Ptolemaic dynasty
Ptolemaic king Ptolemy IV (221–205 BC) have come down to us by name, the ''Thalamegos'' and the ''Tessarakonteres''. Catamarans were also used by Greek engineering
Greeks engineers under Ptolemy II (283–246 BC) as obelisk carriers: {{cquote
It was conveyed by Phoenix, who by digging a canal brought the waters of the Nile right up to the place where the obelisk lay. Two very broad ships were loaded with cubes of the same granite as that of the obelisk, each cube measuring one foot, until calculations showed that the total weight of the blocks was double that of the obelisk, since their total cubic capacity was twice as great. In this way, the ships were able to come beneath the obelisk, which was suspended by its ends from both banks of the canal. Then the blocks were unloaded and the ships, riding high, took the weight of the obelisk. (Pliny the Elder
Pliny, ''Natural History (Pliny)
Nat. Hist.'' 36; 14, 67–68)}} ===Early modern cats=== File:Katamaran-wiosla.jpg
thumb
right
A present sweep row training on catamaran Early modern Europe's first documented catamaran was designed by the polymath and Royal Society member William Petty in 1662. It was designed to sail faster, in shallower waters, with less wind & crew than other vessels of the time, but the unusual design met with scepticism and was not a commercial success.<ref>http://royalsociety.org/exhibitions/350years/twin-hulled-ship/</ref><ref>http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=153561§ioncode=26</ref> design remained relatively unknown in the West for almost another 200 years, until an American, Nathanael Herreshoff, began to build catamaran boats of his own design in 1877 (US Pat. No. 189,459), namely 'Amaryllis', which immediately showed her superior performance capabilities, at her maiden regatta (The Centennial Regatta held on June 22, 1876, off the New York Yacht Club's Staten Island station<ref name="ban" />). It was this same event, after being protested by the losers, where Catamarans, as a design, were ''barred from all the regular classes''<ref name="ban" /> and they remained barred until the 1970s. This ban relegated the catamaran to being a mere novelty boat design for many years.<ref>The Union Cycliste Internationale
UCI later created this same sort of ban, in 1934, when it invalidated Faure's record of 45km in one hour, in 7 July 1933, on a Recumbent bicycle, with rule changes specifically designed to exclude the recumbent bicycle, where Recumbent bicycle technology was similarly repressed.</ref> In 1936 Eric de Bisschop built a Polynesian "double canoe" in Hawaii and sailed it home to a hero's welcome in France. In 1939, he published his book ''Kaimiloa,'' which was translated in English in 1940. In 1947, surfing legend, Woody Brown (surfer and catamaran inventor)
Woodbridge "Woody" Brown and Alfred Kumalae designed and built the first modern ocean-going catamaran, Manu Kai, in Hawaii. Their young assistant was Rudy Choy, who later founded the design firm Choy/Seaman/Kumalae (C/S/K, 1957) and became a fountainhead for the catamaran movement. The Prout Brothers, Roland and Francis, experimented with catamarans in 1949 and converted their 1935 boat factory in Canvey Island, Essex (England), to catamaran production in 1954. Their Shearwater catamarans won races easily against the monohulls. ''Yellow Bird'' a 1953-built Shearwater, raced successfully by Francis Prout in the 1960s, is in the collection of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Inspired by de Bisshop's ''Kamiloa,'' in 1955 James Wharram built a utilitarian catamaran and sailed across the Atlantic with a crew of two German girls. In Trinidad he built another one and returned via the North Atlantic, west to east, pioneering catamaran cuising (maritime). James Wharram designs are a reference for simple, not too expensive self-built boats. Not needing a keel catamarans are more suitable for DIY construction.<ref>Harvey, Dereck, Multihulls for Cruising and Racing, Adlard Coles, London 1990 p. 16, ISBN 0-07136-6414-2</ref> File:Catamaran.JPG
thumb
right
A Hobie catamaran sailboatHobie cat
Hobie Cat 14 The speed and stability of these catamarans soon made them a popular pleasure craft, with their popularity really taking off in Europe, and was followed soon thereafter in America. Currently, most individually owned catamarans are built in France, South Africa, and Australia. In 1970 Les Thompson began work in Inverloch, Australia, to single-handedly build the Llinase, a 70-tonne, 24 meter steel ketch motor-sailer which was subsequently launched in 1980. The vessel was able to "walk" up any suitable beach using a shunting system located under the wing and powered by hydraulic rams. ===Sailing and transport=== File:Base-sous-marine-Lorient-ca.jpg
thumb
right
Maxi Catamaran ''Orange II'' In the mid-twentieth century, the catamaran inspired an even more popular sailboat, the '''Beach Cat'''. In California, a maker of surfboards, Hobie Alter produced the 250-pound in 1967, and two years later the larger and even more successful Hobie 16. That boat remains in production, with more than 100,000 made in the past three decades.</br> The Tornado (sailboat)
Tornado catamaran was an Olympic class sailing catamaran since 1976, with a crew of two. It was designed in 1967 by Rodney March of Brightlingsea, England, with help from Terry Pierce, and Reg White, specifically for the purpose of becoming the Olympic catamaran. At the IYRU Olympic Catamaran Trials, it easily defeated the other challengers. Important builders of transport catamarans are Austal Ships
Austal and International Catamarans
Incat, both of Australia and best known for building large catamarans both as civilian Ferry
ferries and as Navy
naval vessels. ==Usage and application== ===Faster boats=== Catamarans, specifically the multi-hulls, are normally faster than single-hull boats for two reasons : less drag, more power. * The major increase in speed over a monohull is due to the hull shape. A monohull with a traditional displacement hull has a quickly building hydrodynamic drag barrier which set the theoretical hull speed based on square root of "length at waterline". Catamarans make use of needle like hulls which significantly reduce this wave drag. * Catamarans are typically lighter and thus have less displacement (weight). This is because they don't require a keel counterweight since righting moment is derived from the spacing between multiple hulls. * Catamarans have a wider beam (the distance from one side of the boat to the other), which makes them more stable and therefore able to carry more sail area per unit of length than an equivalent monohull. * The greater stability means that the sail is more likely to stay upright in a gust, drawing more power than a monohull's sail which is more likely to heel (lean) over. A catamaran is most likely to achieve its maximum speed when its forward motion is not unduly disturbed by wave action.{{citation needed
date=November 2008}} This is achieved in waters where the wavelength of the waves is somewhat greater than the waterline length of the hulls, or it is achieved by the design piercing the waves. In either case pitching (rocking horse-like motion) is reduced. This has led to it being said that catamarans are especially favourable in coastal waters, where the often sheltered waters permit the boat to reach and maintain its maximum speed. An example of an off the beach catamaran is the Ron Given of New Zealand designed Paper Tiger (yacht)
Paper Tiger Catamaran ===Catamarans peculiarities=== Although the principles of sailing are the same for both catamarans and monohulls, there are some "peculiarities" to sailing catamarans. For example: * Catamarans can be harder to tack (sailing)
tack if they don't have dagger boards or centre boards.<ref> {{cite web
url=http://www.f-boat.com/pages/faq.html
title=Frequently Asked Questions on Multihulls}}</ref> All sailboats must resist lateral movement in order to sail in directions other than points of sail
downwind and they do this by either the hull itself or else dagger boards or centre boards. Also, because catamarans are lighter in proportion to their sail size,{{citation needed
date=November 2008}} they have less momentum to carry them through the turn when they are head to wind. Correct use of the jib sail (back-filling the jib to pull the bow around) is often essential in successfully completing a tack without ending up stuck Glossary of nautical terms#I
in irons (pointing dead into the wind and sailing backwards, see: Points of sail#No-go zone
No-Go Zone). * Catamarans are slower turning than monohulls as hull spacing is increased and hulls are narrowed to a more needle like shape. * Catamarans are less likely to capsize in the classic "beam-wise" manner but often have a tendency to pitchpole instead—where the leeward (downwind) bow sinks into the water and the boat 'trips' over forward, leading to a capsize. Other sources state that trimarans are more prone to "pitchpole", while catamarans can flip sideways. Either way, it is caused by sail overpowering (and not moving weight aft fast enough for smaller vessels). "Trim a monohull for the lull, ride the puff; trim a multihull for the puff, wait the lull" {{citation needed
date=September 2007}} Teaching for new sailors is usually carried out in monohulls as they are thought easier to learn to sail, a mixture of all the differences mentioned probably contributes to this.{{citation needed
date=November 2008}} ===Catamaran sailing=== File:Bladef16-1up.jpg
thumb
right
150px
A small Formula 16 sailing catamaran Small recreational catamarans are typically designed to be launched and landed from a beach. They will come to rest on their keels without heeling over like a monohull. Additionally, their rudders can be retracted to the depth of their keels, which protects the fragile rudders from damage when the vessel is run aground. File:Lagoon-380 haulout.jpg
thumb
Lagoon catamaran
Lagoon 380 showing her keels Larger Catamarans make good cruising and long distance boats: The Race (yachting race)
The Race (around the world, in 2001) was won by the giant catamaran ''Club Med'' skippered by Grant Dalton. It went round the earth in 62 days at an average speed of eighteen knot (unit)
knots. ===Cruising sail cats=== Below a minimum size, about 8 m (24 ft), the catamaran's hulls do not have enough volume to allow them to be used as living space. At the same time, the bridgedeck area isn't sufficiently sized to make effective live-aboard space either. :''There are a lot of folks doing long-distance offshore cruising in monohull yachts of 9m (30 ft) and less. No responsible designer or multihull sailor would recommend this for a multihull. 12m (40 ft) is the minimum recommended LOA and 15m (50 ft) is preferred. This size allows adequate storage for necessary cruising equipment and still give you a good turn of speed in comfort and safety. ... If 15m (50 ft) sounds enormous, remember that the weight of a multihull, of this length, is probably not much more than half the weight of a monohull of the same length and it can be sailed with less crew effort.''<ref name=Handbook>{{cite book
url=http://books.google.ch/books?id=NB4uFQuUlnEC
title= Handbook of offshore cruising: The Dream and Reality of Modern Ocean Cruising
isbn=1-57409-093-3
author=Jim Howard, Charles J. Doane
publisher=Sheridan House, Inc.
page=280 }}</ref> While more popular in Europe and Australia, they are gaining popularity in the US as well.{{citation needed
date=November 2008}} These boats can maintain a comfortable 300 nmpd (nautical miles per day) passage, with the racing versions recording well over 400 nmpd{{citation needed
date=November 2008}}. In addition, they don't heel more than 10-12 degrees, even at full speed on a reach.{{citation needed
date=November 2008}} ===Mega catamarans=== One of the biggest developments over the last decade in the yachting arena has been the rise of the super catamaran: a multihull over 100 feet in length. Various international manufacturers are leading the way in this area including Incat, Blubay, Yapluka, Blue Coast Yachts, Sunreef Yachts, Lagoon and Privilege. Allures, a yacht-catamaran of more than 100 feet was launched in 2007 at Blubay Yachts, France and refitted by Coste Design&Partners. A catamaran of 150 feet in length is under construction at Derektor shipyards in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Coste Design&Partners are preparing a power yacht-catamaran of 203 feet. This project called Event Cat will be a luxury yacht dedicated to corporate and private events. Coste Design&Partners and the designer Jean-Jacques Coste are working on a full range of yachts-catamarans between 80 and more than 200 feet in length. The emergence of the super or mega catamaran is a relatively new event akin to the rise of the mega or super yacht, used to describe the huge growth in luxurious, large motor yachts on the French Riviera and Floridian Coast. One of the reasons for increased mega catamaran construction was "The Race (yachting race)
The Race", a circumnavigation challenge which departed from Barcelona, Spain, on New Year's Eve, 2000. Because of the prize money and prestige associated with this event, four new catamarans (and two highly modified ones) over 100' in length were built to compete. The largest, "PlayStation (yacht)
PlayStation", owned by Steve Fossett, was 125' long and had a mast which was 147' above the water. Virtually all of the new mega cats were built of pre-preg carbon fiber for strength and the lowest possible weight. Top speeds of these boats can approach 50 knots. ==Powered catamarans== ===Cruising powered cats=== A recent development in catamaran design has been the introduction of the power catamaran. The 'power' version incorporates the best features of a motor yacht and combines it with the characteristics of a multihull. Usually, the power catamaran is devoid of any sailing apparatus as demonstrated by one of the top-selling models in the United States, the Lagoon Power 43. This vessel has now been introduced to a number of charter fleets in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean and is becoming an increasingly common sight. Smaller powered catamarans are becoming quite common in the United States with several manufacturers producing quality boats. A small "cat" will almost certainly have 2 engines while a similar sized mono-hull would only one engine. All mid-size and larger cats will have 2 engines.{{citation needed
date=September 2007}} The Swiss-registered catamaran Tûranor PlanetSolar which was launched in March 2010, is the world's largests solar energy
solar powered boat and is planned to circumnavigation
circumnavigate the globe. ===Passenger transport=== File:STA70273.JPG
thumb
right
The ''HSC Stena Voyager
Stena Voyager'' is a catamaran that provides a fast ferry service across the Irish sea. An increasing trend is the deployment of a catamaran as a high speed ferry. The use of catamaran for high speed passenger transport was pioneered by Westermoen Hydrofoil in Mandal, Norway
Mandal, Norway, who launched the ''Westamaran'' design in 1973. The Westamarans, and later designs, some of them consisting of a catamaran hull resting on an air cushion between the hulls, became dominant for all high speed connections along the Norwegian coast. They could achieve speeds comparable to the hydrofoils that it replaced, and was much more tolerant of foul water and wave conditions. Since the 1970s, the length of catamarans increased from some 20 m up to 115 m long.<ref>[http://www.incat.com.au/domino/incat/incatweb.nsf/0/A283856779A561B4CA2571AF0019EDE5?OpenDocument InCat, one of the largest wave-piercing catamaran builders]</ref> The High-speed Stena HSS is the world's largest fast ferry, traveling at a speed of 46 mph, although it is capable of doing over 70 mph. There is a list of catamaran ferry routes documenting the growing number of routes. ===Military cats=== File:USN Joint Venture (HSV-X1).jpg
thumb
right
HSV-X1 Joint Venture
HSV-X1 ''Joint Venture'', a large, experimental, high-speed military catamaran. ==Variations== File:Ship catamaran.gif
thumb
right
Basic Catamaran Two main types of catamaran exist: the regular catamaran and the open catamaran, which features a trampoline between the hulls instead of plating. The normal catamaran multihull, powered or not, consists of two Amas separated by two Akas, which may suspend a platform or trampoline between them. They can be of various sizes and, recently, have become very large. ===SWATH=== File:Ship SWATH.gif
thumb
right
SWATH type The Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) is a hull form used for vessels that require a ship of a certain size to handle in rough seas as well as a much larger vessel. An added benefit is a high proportion of deck area for their displacement—in other words, large without being heavy. The SWATH form was invented by Canadian Frederick G. Creed, who presented his idea in 1938 and was later awarded a British patent for it in 1946. It was first used in the 1960s and 1970s as an evolution of catamaran design for use as oceanographic research vessels or submarine rescue ships. Catamarans provide large, broad decks. It also allows for a design that greatly reduce water resistance (the part that generates waves) by moving as much displacement volume as possible to the lower hull and narrowing the waterline cross-section sharply, creating the distinctive pair of bulbous hulls below the waterline and the narrow struts supporting the upper hull. This design means that the ship's flotation runs mostly under the waves, like a submarine (the smooth ride of a sub was the inspiration for the design). The result is that a fairly small ship can run very steadily in rough seas. A 50-meter ship can operate at near full power in nearly any direction in waves as high as 12 meters.{{citation needed
date=April 2013}} The S.W.A.T.H. theory was further developed by Dr Thomas G. Lang, inventor of improvements to the semi-submerged ship (S3) in about 1968. Basically, a SWATH vessel consists of two parallel torpedo like hulls attached to which are two or more streamlined struts which pierce the water surface and support an above water platform. The US Navy commissioned the construction of a SWATH ship called the 'Kaimalino' to prove the theory as part of their ship research program. The Kaimalino has been operating successfully in the rough seas off the Hawaiian islands since 1975. {{Gallery
width = 140
height = 140
File:Serpentine solarshuttle 3.jpg
Pontoon Boat
File:Ship hidroairy mikrotehna.jpg
Hydroairy Ship
File:SWATH pilot boat in Rotterdam.jpg
SWATH pilot boat in Rotterdam
File:SWATH pilot boat and bulk carrier.jpg
Another Dutch SWATH Pilot boat
File:Neue Planet von vorn.jpg
Research ship ''Planet class research ship
Planet'' of the German Navy }} ===Pontoon boat or hydroairy ship=== {{main
Pontoon (boat)}} File:Ship hidroairy.gif
thumb
right
Hydroairy or Pontoon type The hydroairy ship appears to be nothing more than an upgraded and enlarged Pontoon (boat)
pontoon boat with a formed and shaped underplatform. The general architecture is identical, consisting of two flotation chambers, for the Ama (sailing)
Amas, joined by a load carrying platform, which carries the superstructure. Invented in 1952 by a Minnesota farmer,<ref>[http://www.weeres.com/about.htm Weeres History - "An Idea that Started an Industry"]</ref> in the rural town of Richmond, MN. Ambrose Weeres had an idea that if you put a wooden deck on top of two columns of steel barrels welded together end to end, you would have a sturdy deck that would be more stable on a lake than a conventional boat. This was Ambrose Weeres, walking the same idea paths as the early Polynesians, while proving that the ideas behind the multihull are not all that counter-intuitive. These sorts of boats are cheap and easy to make, require no ballast, and thus have good performance. Although this design is almost exclusively restricted to power boats, it is still essentially a catamaran. No displacement is lost towards ballast, therefore yielding huge operational efficiencies. An unconventional design is the WAMV Proteus.<ref>[http://www.wam-v.com/downloads/images/ WAMV Proteurs images]</ref> {{Gallery
width = 140
height = 140
lines = 5
File:Bodensee Katamaran Ferdinand in Konstanzer Hafen.JPG
catamaran in Lake Constance
File:hsc tarifa jet.jpg
'''HSC Tarifa Jet''', Large, commercial high-speed catamaran ferry.
File:Catamaran Victora Clipper IV.jpg
The '''Victoria Clipper IV''' is a catamaran that provides ferry service between Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria and Seattle
File:20091109-TurboJET Barca.jpg
TurboJET's ''Barca'' Foilcat
File:hsc halunder jet.jpg
The '''HSC Halunder Jet''' is a catamaran that provides ferry service between Hamburg, Wedel, Cuxhaven and Helgoland }} ===Catamaran kits=== One factor following the rise of popularity in Catamarans is the popularity of catamaran "kits". Most popular are materials such as woven fibreglass fabrics and foam, balsa or paper-honeycomb cores. These materials are pressed to create "panels" which are then often cut to specific shapes and parts for construction by amateurs or professionals. ==See also== {{Commons category
Catamarans}} *Hokulea
Hokule?a *International Catamaran Challenge Trophy *International C-Class Catamaran Championship *SWATH, another twin hull design *Hydrocopter *Hirondelle (catamaran)
Hirondelle *Pentamaran *Hawaii Superferry *James Wharram ==Notes== {{Reflist}} ==Bibliography== *{{cite book
url=http://books.google.ch/books?id=KYUDAAAACAAJ&dq=Aero-hydrodynamics+of+Sailing
title=Aero-Hydrodynamics of Sailing
isbn=1-888671-18-1
author=C. A. Marchaj
publisher=Tiller Publishing
pages= }} *{{cite book
url=http://books.google.ch/books?id=Z7JIAAAACAAJ&dq=Sail+Performance
title=Sail Performance
isbn=0-07-141310-3
author=C. A. Marchaj
publisher=McGraw Hill
page=400 }} *{{cite book
url=http://books.google.ch/books?id=uLz2IAAACAAJ&dq=seaworthiness
title=Seaworthiness:The Forgotten Factor
isbn=1-888671-09-2
author=C. A. Marchaj
publisher=Tiller Publishing
page=372 }} ==External links== {{Wiktionary}} * [http://www.multiblog.fr/ Multiblog] is the catamaran's blog ! * [http://www.thebeachcats.com Catamaran Sailing at TheBeachcats.com] Site devoted to all types of small catamarans known as beachcats. * [http://www.multihulls-world.com/us/ Multihulls World] Catamarans aficionados magazine * [http://www.sailboatfamily.com/LandTransportBoatHowTo.php Transporting A Catamaran] Pictorial of transporting a 32 foot catamaran over land {{Sailing Vessels and Rigs}} Category:Catamarans Category:Multihulls Category:Ship types Category:Tamil words and phrases Category:Nautical terms