f18 catamaran top speed

Sailboat specifications

• Last update: 20th March 2020

Nacra F18's main features

Nacra f18's main dimensions, nacra f18's rig and sails, nacra f18's performances, nacra f18's auxiliary engine, nacra f18's accommodations and layout.

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• Sat. Aug 31st, 2024

US F18 Catamaran Class Assn., Inc.

While Formula 18s have enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, the state of the class today is the result of growth and development since the class’s founding in 1985. F18s are sailed by a very broad spectrum of people of all ages, from professionals to club racers and recreational weekend sailors.

Today’s F18 is a fast, sophisticated race boat. It is also a very stable platform—one that is every bit as fast as other high-performance small boats, yet much more forgiving to drive and much more amenable to the time and budget limits that face the vast majority of sailors. With a minimum of sail controls, together with the self-tacking jib, crews can focus more on driving, boat handling, and tactical options instead of the subtle nuances of coaxing an extra tenth of a knot of boat speed from a spaghetti pile of control lines.

The F18 is not a strict one-design class, but it is a class where innovations in design are subject to strict constraints. In addition to setting a minimum all-up weight and limiting length, beam, and sail area, the class rules lay out the following conditions:

• hulls cannot include carbon or other exotic materials
• all spars must be of aluminum and may not be tapered
• daggerboards must be symmetrical (no curved daggerboards) with a maximum length
• crossbeams, rudder stocks, tillers, and the tiller crossbar must be aluminum
• apart from some fittings, carbon is permitted only in daggerboards, rudder blades, and the tiller extension
• standing rigging must be stainless steel
• sail area is measured by combining the surface area of the wing mast with the square footage of the sail fabric itself (mast sections with longer chord lengths must support sails with less cloth)
• differences in crew weight are equalized via requirements that lightweight crews (less than 330 lbs. combined) use corrector weights

The Formula 18 rule has proven highly successful at building the kind of class it intended. Over time the F18 class has shown itself capable of carrying out the critical balancing act of, on the one hand, fostering design innovation and, on the other, ensuring the competitive longevity of the boats. Today’s stock factory boats from any of the major builders benefit from the expertise of some of the world’s most talented yacht designers. They incorporate levels of technical innovation that are often well beyond those of larger, slower, and much costlier monohull classes. Nonetheless, older F18s have shown time and again that they can successfully compete with the latest designs. Dr. Martin Fischer, who designed Hobie’s F18, the Wild Cat, put it this way : Especially in an up and down regatta with lots of participants the skill of the sailors plays a very important role. This becomes even more important in strong winds, when boat handling becomes an issue. In the F18 the speed difference between a fast boat and an average boat is of the order of a few percent. This relatively small advantage is not sufficient for an average crew to beat a top crew.

Boat Specification:

• maximum length: 5.52 meters (18.11 feet)
• maximum width: 2.6 meters (8.53 feet)
• minimum weight (ready to sail): 180 kg (396 lbs)
• maximum mast height: 9.15 meters (30 feet)
• maximum mainsail + mast area: 17 m² (183 sq ft)
• maximum jib area: 4.3 m² (46.3 sq ft)
• maximum spinnaker area: 21 m² (226 sq ft)
• Crew: 1 skipper and 1 crew with minimum combined weight: 115 kg (253 lbs)
• Teams weighing less than 150 kg (330 lbs) combined shall carry extra weight equal to half the difference between their actual weight and 150 kg (330 lbs).

The most up to date class rules can be found on World Sailing’s website.

There is also a great article in Wikipedia describing the history of the class in more detail.

In case you missed it

2024 f18 americas championship, 2023 annual general meeting, seesaw battle at north american championships, q&a with ravi parent.

NACRA F18 Evolution

The NACRA F18 Evolution is a racing Catamaran built with advanced technology, sophisticated design tools and 45 years of experience. The main purpose of the new Formula 18 design was to build upon the unique pedigree of the NACRA F18 Infusion as the best all-round performing F18, across the full range of sailing conditions for every sailor. The most distinctive feature of this Evolution F18 is its hull shape design –  an aggressively styled raked wave-piercing bow with a horizontal hull chine that runs back into the transom. This design offers a unique compromise for both sailing upwind and downwind at different speeds. Moreover, the optimized foredeck in front of the main beam and embedded beams into the hull add elegance to this design. The updated longitudinal beam position optimizes the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic balance between the sail plan and appendages.

Technical data NACRA F18 Evolution

Gallery NACRA F18 Evolution

Published on September 23rd, 2019 | by Editor

Formula 18 Class: Evolve or Die

Published on September 23rd, 2019 by Editor -->

The success of one design racing rests largely on critical mass. There may be a lot of boats of a type, but if they are not in close proximity, convenient one design racing can’t occur. And if it isn’t convenient, it won’t thrive.

But what if different boat types, with similar characteristics, could come together and race on equal terms? The Formula 18 Class had that objective when the parameters were developed in 1993 to offer popular, exciting, safe, and fair racing in 18-foot catamarans.

The class’ further objective was to keep development under control, keeping it a non-foiler, and maintaining a good balance between cost and performance. By being open to any manufacturer, the competition keeps costs to sailors to a minimum… right?

While right in general, any class organization that has some degree of “openness” becomes open to efforts that try to build a better mousetrap, err, 18-foot catamaran. And once that happens, the effort to offer a level playing field tilts toward those spending money for the better boat.

This all came to mind with the pending launch of the newly developed Nacra F18 Evolution, which according to Nacra Sailing, hopes to improve on their previous boat – the Nacra F18 Infusion – to be the best all-around performing F18, over the full range of sailing conditions for every sailor.

Why do it otherwise, right? When there were no Nacras in the top 20 at the 2019 F18 Worlds , and the Exploder Scorpion dominated with 8 boats in the top 12, it’s time to evolve or die.

Here’s the background on this new boat:

The design program of the Nacra F18 Evolution started at the 2018 F18 World Championship in Sarasota, USA. Morrelli & Melvin Naval Architects Ferdinand van West (2 time F18 World Champion) and Pete Melvin (Olympic sailor) teamed up to sail the Nacra F18 Infusion.

With Nacra Sailing owner and technical director Peter Vink’s coaching, the duo finished their first event in 6th place. Inspired by this experience, they brought back a wealth of data from the event which they applied directly to the drawing board. This is how Nacra Sailing teamed up again with their long-time development partner Morrelli & Melvin to set its goals in this ambitious project. These parties have a long history together, having done many successful projects such as the Nacra F18 Infusion which was launched in 2006.

This relationship also includes the development of the Olympic Nacra 17 which has changed the face of sailing by becoming the first Olympic sailing class to introduce hydrofoiling.

The hydrodynamic characteristics of the Nacra F18 Evolution’s hull shape are completely revised and benefit from the latest design tools used by America’s Cup teams, analyzing the performance of dozens of hull shape iterations in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations.

Since their involvement in the last three America’s Cups, Morrelli & Melvin have invested in using NUMECA’s FINE/Marine CFD software for design optimization. Utilizing high performance computing resources and advanced performance prediction simulators to add fidelity to race model analysis.

Most notable, the Nacra F18 Evolution’s hull shape design, has an aggressively styled raked wave-piercing bow with a horizontal hull chine running back into the transom.

This elegant solution cleverly distributes the volume and contour curvatures desired for each dynamic condition and delivers a unique compromise for both sailing upwind and downwind at different speeds. The optimized foredeck in front of the main beam and embedded beams into the hull add extra sleekness to this design.

There was a careful focus on the platform configuration, which features an updated longitudinal beam position to optimize the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic balance between the sailplan and the appendages. This has been further enhanced by a new high aspect ratio rudder design, refining wetted area, and updates to the hydrofoil sectional shape to the latest developments.

Close collaboration with the aerodynamic sail design of Performance Sails has ensured an optimized sailplan which features the regatta proven deck sweeper mainsail and an optimized jib design tailored to the new mainsail.

The Nacra F18 Evolution will make its F18 Worlds debut at the 2020 Formula 18 World Championship in Formia, Italy, and is available for order with first deliveries starting in February 2020.

Tags: F18 , F18 Worlds , Formula 18 , Formula 18 World Championship , Nacra Sailing

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Formula 18 (F18)

Class contact information.

Click below

Class Email

Class Website

One-Design Class Type: Multihull

Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Both

Approximately how many class members do you have? 90

Photo Credit:St Bart Cata Cup 2018 Round the Weather Mark

Photo Credit: St Bart Cata Cup 2018 Start

Photo Credit: St Bart Cata Cup 2018

About Formula 18 (F18)

The F18 class aims to provide fair boat for boat racing without handicaps on catamarans from various manufacturers and different designs within a “box” formula rule and for crews of various weights. Competition between boat manufacturers and sail makers keep costs very competitive and the competition is very close. Racing with upwind speeds of 11-13 knots and downwind speeds of 18-20 kts makes the racing very exciting. Allowing mixed and all female teams to compete on an equal basis fleets makes entering the class more accessible for every sailor. The Formula 18 class keeps offering popular, exciting, safe and fair racing, and also keeps on growing and evolving. The boat was designed for both distance “raid” racing and standard around the buoy multiple race events. There are major continental and world championships annually often with 100 to 160 catamarans entered.

Boats Produced: 500

Class boat builder(s):

Cirrus (France), Falcon (USA), Goodall (Australia), Nacra (Netherlands), Scorpion (Poland), Windrush (Australia)

Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 200

Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:

Arizona – Phoenix; California – Long Beach, San Diego, Santa Cruz, San Francisco; Florida – Clearwater, Sarasota, Key Largo; Hawaii – Oahu; Maryland; Massachusetts – Boston, Michigan; Rhode Island – Newport, Utah – Salt Lake City, Wisconsin, Washington – Seattle;

Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? Yes

How many people sail as a crew including the helm?  2

Ideal combined weight of range of crew:  300-380 lbs; minimum combined crew weight 330 lbs (150 kg) otherwise carry 1/2 pound lead for each pound underweight

Boat Designed in  1995

Length (feet/inches): 18′

Beam: 8’5″

Weight of rigged boat without sails: 396 lbs (180 kg) minimum required weight with sails

Draft: Approximately 5 ft but varies by type of F18. Boat has two daggerboards which can be raised when in shallow water.

Mast Height: 30′

Back to One-Design Central

Copyright ©2018-2024 United States Sailing Association. All rights reserved. US Sailing is a 501(c)3 organization. Website designed & developed by Design Principles, Inc. -->

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Home » Nacra F18 Evolution

Nacra F18 Evolution

The Nacra F18 Evolution is a racing catamaran built with advanced technology, sophisticated design tools and 45 years of experience. The primary ambition of the new Formula 18 design was to build upon the Nacra F18 Infusion’s unique pedigree as the best all-around performing F18, over the full range of sailing conditions for every sailor.

Winner of the F18 Europeans, F18 Worlds & The Worrell 1000 Race!

Most notable on this F18 Evolution: the hull shape design. It has an aggressively styled raked wave-piercing bow with a horizontal hull chine running back into the transom. This design delivers a unique compromise for both sailing upwind and downwind at different speeds. The optimized foredeck in front of the main beam and embedded beams into the hull add extra sleekness to this design. The updated longitudinal beam position optimizes the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic balance between the sail plan and appendages.

Sail the Nacra F18 Evolution

Come sail the Nacra F18 Evolution at our Test Center in the Outer Banks of NC.  Our program, “Try it before you buy it” is a great way to try a a new boat to make sure it is a good fit.  Our test center is located at our partner business  Nor ‘Banks Sailing and Watersports in Duck, NC . Appointments  are required for boat testing and we charge a demo fee for the test. Demo fees vary by boat.  The demo fee will be reimbursed to you if you purchase a boat.  Test sails are offered April through October and are weather dependent.  To make a appointment for a test sail please Contact us to set it up.   

The F18 class is founded in 1993 by Pierre Charles Barraud and Olivier Bovyn. The F18 class aims to provide fair racing for crews of various weights. With the use of two different sail sizes of jibs and spinnakers, crews can weigh from 115 to over 150 kg. Competition between the manufacturers keep the costs at the lowest level. Allowing mixed and female crews to compete on an equal basis in large male fleets made entering in the class more accessible for every sailor. The Formula 18 class keeps offering popular, exciting, safe and fair racing, and also keeps on growing and evolving.

International Formula 18 Class Association

Standard Configuration

• Designer: Nacra/Morrelli & Melvin
• Glass foam sandwich FRP epoxy resin
• Carbon daggerboard
• Carbon kick up rudders
• 1:10 main sheet system
• 1:16 Cunningham
• 1:4 Jib Cunningham
• Harken hardware
• Tapered Spin Halyard
• Nylon spinnaker
• Pentex sails
• Jib Self Tacker
• Wing trampoline with out kickers
• Fixed Carbon tiller extension
• Shroud and forestay with adjustable turnbuckle
• Foot straps
• Deck sweeper sail
• Adjustable trapeze system
• Full boat cover and mast cover

Option/add on

• Chicken Line System

SPECIFICATIONS

Pricing Does not include shipping.  Shipping available upon request

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East Coast Sailboats, Inc: 104 Shores Avenue, Point Harbor, NC 27964

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• Rigging tips and tricks

Tuning of Nacra F18 catamaran.

By Andrew Holden , May 3, 2003 in Rigging tips and tricks

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Andrew holden.

From overseas web site

There are many controls for adjustment in a modern catamaran, these notes will detail each one and the effect that it as on performance. They must be read as a general guide, as each sailor will have their own preferences. It is important that you measure your catamaran and know where your settings are, so that they can be reproduced in any given wind range.

The mast is the critical factor to achieve performance:

a. Rig tension.

Rig tension, slacker in lighter winds and tighter in heavier, slack is with, say 70 to 80 kgs pulling back towards the stern of the catamaran. At this tension, the leeward shroud will appear slack when going up wind. This will also allow the forestay to “fall away” causing loss of pointing ability. Sailmakers now cut jibs allowing for this to happen, but don’t let it happen too much. As wind increases then increase the rig tension, but remember with a rotating mast, it will always want to stay “in the middle”, which means that the rig is going marginally tighter each time the mast turns hence wanting to return to central “neutral” position. Now if you are too tight in light winds, the mast will not rotate enough, so slacker rig in light winds.

Slack, as a general guide, is when you can hold the shroud and rotate your hand through 45 degrees.

If you go too tight, then the mast will not rotate freely due to excess pressure on the mast ball, and the catamaran just won’t feel right.

Don’t forget, pull with the same person in the same conditions, then you can re-produce where you started.

b. Mast Rake.

Take the forward trapeze and add a short piece of line, then stretch tight down to bridle fastening to hull. Measure that distance, with trapeze wire taught, then take trapeze wire to stern and length ought to be in the middle of the hatch cover for lighter winds, to the “back end” of the hatch housing for heavier and finally half way from back of hatch housing to the transom for seriously heavy wind.

Moving the mast aft, decreases power and makes the catamaran easier to handle, hence further back in heavier winds. Also the lighter the crew, the further back the mast and visa-versa.

Also moving the mast aft, allows the center of effort on the sails to move further aft and so will encourage the boat to point higher. BUT this might mean that you feel “weather helm” through the tiller, if so, “tuck” the rudders further underneath the catamaran by adjusting the screw thread on the rudder casting. When sailing upwind, with two on trapeze, you ought to be able to rest the extended tiller on the top of your index finger and the catamarans should slowly climb up into the wind.

c. Spreader rake.

The third crucial factor in tuning masts. Broadly the rake is set for the weight of the crew, and the tension for the wind conditions, when sailors feel that they are single and double trapezing in the right conditions. With the Nacra F18, the settings are further back that usual, with lighter crews going to 45 to 50mm, heavier from 35 to 45mm. (Peter Vink who makes the sails suggests 50 to 60 mm for lighter and 40 to 50mm for heavier!!!) Now, when the spreader rake is increased, it means that the tension of the spreader wires “bends” the mast aft, hence flattening off the sail therefore de-powering the boat. This adjustment is made on the land by turning the bottle screw at the base of the diamond spreaders. ALWAYS know this measurement!! Then as the wind increases you can increase a set number of turns, remember this setting and then the catamaran will reduce power in strong winds and increase power by reducing (slackening the spreader wires) the number of turns in light breezes. The technology is the new Nacra F18 mast is considerable and the mast is lighter but stiffer in the “sideways” bend, but achieves more variation in the “backwards” bend. This stiffness sideways allows the main to stay fuller at lower levels, hence giving more upwind drive and less heeling moment.

(The medium (middle) setting is 36 on the Loos gauge. ( about 175 kgs) When practicing your sailing, always try and get accurate wind strength measurement, I know it isn’t easy but try, that will help you reconstruct the settings again on another day.)

d. Sail batten tension.

Do no more than fit the battens and tie in snugly. Do NOT try and over tighten, all you are doing in stretching sailcloth that doesn’t want to stretch!

When you have put them in “snugly” just feel the tension in the batten cords when you have down hauled and sheeted in the main.

There is wisdom in lighter breezes to increase sail shape by increasing the batten tension, but it is the natural curve of the batten that gives most sail shape, not tension.

You will find that the top two are very stiff and short, but they are also high up, and it is windier up there!! So in lighter breezes, or with heavier crews, you may want more shape at the top of the sail.

e. Cunningham (Downhaul).

Another critical setting to learn and to be able to re-produce. Increasing downhaul “flattens” the mainsail and decreases power, as the mast is “bent backwards” the bolt rope takes up that mast curve, flattening the main, but critically “opening” the top of the sail and so reduces power as the head of the sail “falls away” from the wind.

With modern 8:1 downhaul systems, it is important to learn the subtleties; it isn’t a question of “full on or full off”.

Remove all Cunningham tension on downwind legs when spinnaker is flying.

f. Mast rotation control.

Another factor influencing on sail power. To achieve maximum power, the mast rotation control yoke wants to be pointing at the shrouds, (or in light winds marginally infront). This will yield the perfect airflow over the mast then on to leeward side of the mainsail, hence most power. In stronger breezes, by moving the yoke further aft, that perfect air low will be interrupted, leading to a reduction in power. So maximum power with yoke pointing at shrouds and pointing at “red traveller stop” on back beam for reduced power. (All this is assuming that the boom is in the middle of the back beam.)

The Nacra F18 is equipped with two lines that hold mast rotation on downwind legs when spinnaker is raised. These are invaluable on long downwind legs especially in light breezes, BUT BUT make sure that they are removed BEFORE gibing.

g. Out haul controls.

The next important control. In normal circumstance try and get a “handspan” between the boom and the loose footed sail. ie about 10 cms. In lighter winds especially if there is swell, increase as this will give increased drive. When seriously windy, reduce sail shape so that the mainsail loose foot runs parallel to the boom.

The Nacra F18 is fitted with a “limiter” line to stop sailors over out hauling the mainsail, as there is a risk that if the mainsail is out hauled severely, then 8:1 down hauled, the bolt rope might be pulled out of the mast track. If it is done in the reverse order then all is well.

h. Mainsheet tension.

Sailors will notice that if they “oversheet” then the mainsail “hooks” to windward and the boat sails appallingly, over sheeting is one of the most common causes of poor sail performance. Ensure that the telltales are flowing, indicating the even air flow over both sides of the mainsail. The general guide is: ease mainsheet tension and make sure that leeward tell tales are flowing smoothly, then increase tension and get the windward telltales to fly evenly!

Don’t forget that you MUST keep some mainsheet tension when you fly the spinnaker. Your main sail acts as your backstay. Failure to do this could well finish with a damaged mast.

g. Traveller positioning.

Upwind, keep traveller as close to the center of the back beam as possible, if it gets windier then allow the traveller to move out, and at the same time keep mainsheet firm, as this will keep a more even sail shape throughout the height of the sail.

Most F18 sailing is done with traveller in the center for both upwind and downwind spinnaker legs.

h. Dagger boards.

As a “Golden rule” dagger boards are down going upwind and 50 to75% up when going downwind. However, they can serve as a very useful de-powering adjustment when over powered going upwind. Raising the boards will allow the catamaran to “slip” to leeward and this will give the feeling of less power coming from the mainsail. This will be most noticeable in gusty conditions.

j. The jib.

Like the main, it is important to have the jib tuned to the winds. If stronger breezes, then increase downhaul tension on the luff, and visa versa, so in light winds it is acceptable to have slight “creases” around the luff, that will mean that the high aspect sail stay fuller. Be careful to ensure that you don’t put tight luff tension of the jib if you have slack rig tension on the boat as this will mean that when you go sailing ALL weight is held by the jib cloth!!

The positioning of the jib is critical to give the “slot effect”, the jib is very high aspect and not very large in its own right, but “deflects” airs over the main, and so massively increases the speed of those airs. There are three standard settings, but try with the jib traveller car at about 38 to 40 cms. from the center of the mast. This will give an ideal point to start.

In lighter breezes bring the jib carriage in and out when wind picks up. If it is too tight then the air can’t flow “through” the catamaran, causing her to heel and not drive.

Next comes the Jib clew position. There are three positions, use the middle one to start with, but the bottom one will tighten the foot and free the leech and the top one will close the leech and open the foot of the jib. If windy then a free (open) leech will reduce power and reduce boat heeling, as the air can flow “through” the boat more easily, whereas in light conditions, closing the leech will increase power as will increasing the sail shape in the foot both achieved by using the lower fitting. The “slot” effect of jib and main are crucial to boat speed, they must be working in total unison.

k. The rudders.

Run the rudders parallel. Some used to think of marginal toe-in, but it is easier to have them parallel. With the boat on the land, a simple devise that does work is point the rudders direct down the boat so that they are in line with the hulls. Then fasten in the grub screws into the flexible rubber joints and the job is done ensuring that the tiller cross bar is equi-distant from the rudder arms. ie there is equal rubber jointing showing at both sides. Rudder rake depends upon mast rake, further back the mast, the further forward the rudders and visa versa.

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• Nacra F18 Evolution

Measurements

Length 5m (16’4″)

Width 2.50m (8′2″)

Mast length 8.53m (28’)

Boat weight 127kg (280 lbs)

General use

Class Racing Sport

Standard Configuration

1:16 Cunningham system 1:4 jib Cunningham system 1:10 mainsheet system 2 person trapeze system Fully Harken® equipped Fixed aluminium tiller extension Standing rigging including turnbuckles Kick-up rudder system

Fully battened Decksweeper mainsail and jib Radial panel layout for optimal load distribution High quality Pentex ® cloth for mainsail and jib Aluminium curved Decksweeper boom

Made by Performance Sails Large window Radial panel layout for optimal load distribution Fully battened Polyester scrim laminated cloth with white stitches and black batten pockets Fibre foam tapered battens

Made by Performance Sails Large window Radial panel layout for superb load distribution Fully battened Polyester scrim laminated cloth with white stitching and Fully tapered battens

Made by Performance Sails Radial panel layout for superb load distribution Nylon cloth (optional in polyester) Available in 3 colours (red, white & blue) Snuffer patches in spinnaker Hardware Composite snufferring Snufferbag Aluminium bowsprit High quality ropes      Harken ® running blocks and cleats

Glass foam sandwich FRP epoxy resin Pro-grip deck pads Integrated beam bedding Aluminium front & rear crossbar Inspection hatches High quality stainless steel rudder gudgeons Foot straps (optional)

Made by Performance Sails Grey UV resistant mesh Integrated storage bag Outkickers (optional)

Other hardware

Fully equipped with Harken ® running blocks and cleats Low stretch stainless standing rigging with special teardrop terminals High quality ropes  Nacra kick up rudder system        Carbon reinforced high aspect rudder blades      Carbon reinforced straight daggerboards      Aluminium rudder castings with precision bearings      Rudder covers Aluminium rotating mast      Specially designed wing section       Spinlock ® Cunningham blocks      Waterproof      Rotating mainsail hoist connection for better performance      Mast cover

Accessories (optional)

Road trailer Full boat cover Stern supports Beachwheel ® launch trailer  Country code with sails

Discover our entire range of catamarans

Shop all your spare parts and accessories directly from our online store.

Shopping for your business?

Do you order for a sailing school or club, a resort, or do you want to become a Nacra Certified Dealer? Contact Nacra Sailing to apply.

© Nacra Sailing INT. 2024

The 8 Fastest Cruising Catamarans (With Speedchart)

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Cruising catamarans are some of the most comfortable boats to roam the water, making them fantastic for both long-term voyages and short-term vacations. Still, cruising catamarans can be great racing boats, but just how fast can they go?

Some of the fastest cruising catamarans include the Gunboat 68 (35 knots), Outremer 45 (25 knots), ORC50 (25 knots), FastCat 435 (20 knots), TS 42 (35 knots), and Lagoon 440 (20 knots). Yet, there are many more cats that can reach 35 knots safely. 

If you are interested in knowing about the fastest cruising catamarans, I have you covered. I will be discussing some of the most popular, fastest cruising catamarans and the features that make them so excellent for sailors in need of speed. You will learn more about each catamaran’s speed and amenities, and I will let you know a trick or two to maximize your speed under sail. 

How Fast Are Cruising Catamarans?

On average, cruising catamarans can reach top speeds of 15 knots , around 17.3 mph (27.84 kph). However, some exceptional, racing-designed cruising catamarans can reach up to 30+ knots in the right wind conditions. 

When you want to better understand catamaran hull characteristics, I suggest the book Catamarans a Complete Guide (amazon link) by the president of Aeroyacht catamarans and that you check out my article Why catamarans capsize .

Factors That Impact Speed

Weight & size.

When you consider a catamaran’s speed, you will need to keep in mind the boat’s weight and narrowness. A vessel that can travel at 15 knots will still move slower if the boat is heavy or has a wide, extensive hull. When increasing the total weight of the boat, the boat “sits” lower in the water, thus increasing water drag and reducing speed.

Why trimarans are faster than catamarans!

Now that we know how weight impacts sailing characteristics, it follows that; if you are planning on racing your catamaran, you should remove as much luggage or extra gear as possible. Eliminating as much weight as possible will help you travel at your cat’s maximum speed .

Narrow Hulls

The hydrodynamics of the ship will heavily affect your speed. Narrower boats can chop through the water with less effort, making slender ships with pointed hulls far faster than wide vessels. So if you are looking for the fastest one available, you should look for a slender hull.

Slim hulls vs. space is a common tradeoff for catamarans optimized for family sailing .

Wind will also affect your ship’s speed, so do not expect your cruising catamaran to reach the maximum speed without heavy wind. Generally, cruising catamarans have two large sails (at least) to power them through the water, and some are so efficient that they can travel even faster than the wind.

Although a strong wind is needed to energize the sails and move the boat, too much wind will instead make the sails less efficient, and maximum speed is most often attained at lower wind speeds but with flat water.

Light Weight Materials

Faster cruising catamarans are often made from carbon fiber materials and fiberglass to keep the weight down. If you are looking for the quickest catamaran that you can find, you should note the materials that the ship is made out of and try to get one that is primarily made from carbon, glass, and resin materials. 

While you are looking for the perfect catamaran for you, you should keep in mind what you NEED and what is NICE with your ship. Usually, this decision is between size and speed, but some of these excellent vessels have both. 

Lightweight materials are usually costly; for example, a carbon fiber mast will probably cost you +$20 000, depending on the cat’s size.

I have written a buyer’s guide that explains the concept of NEED vs. NICE , which will make choosing the right boat faster and more accurate.

Gunboat 68 (+35Kts)

Gunboat 68 is a cruising catamaran designed to reach the highest speeds possible. Made by Gunboat, the ship uses Grand-Prix racing boats’ designs to develop the speediest cruising catamaran on the market. 

Gunboat 68 is made entirely from carbon composites, which keeps the ship lightweight and fast. Gunboat 68 is the perfect catamaran for anyone who wants to reach the highest speeds possible while maintaining control of the vessel and not bouncing around too much. 

Gunboat 68 has comfortable, spacious living quarters, though it also has a spacious deck with luxurious seating. Indeed, this cat has it all, making it one of the best cruising catamarans for racers and casual sailors. The design maximizes all of the living spaces and uses lightweight materials to add elegance and luxury to a speedy racing catamaran. 

Gunboat 68 is one of the fastest cruising cats out there, with its maximum speed at more than 30 knots . Gunboat 68 can achieve these fast speeds, thanks to its lightweight construction and narrow hull design. 

Still, Gunboat can customize your ship’s plan to accommodate your needs. Whether you are looking for a faster, more lightweight boat with a more extensive sail or a more comfortable cruiser, Gunboat 68 is an excellent option for you. 

Specifications

• Maximum Speed: 35 knots
• Length: 68 ft (20.75 m)
• Beam: 29.9 ft (9.1 m)
• Draft: 3.9 ft (1.2 m) board up and 9.84 ft (3.8 m) board down
• Displacement: 23.7 tonnes

TS 42 (ORC 42)

The TS, or Tres Simple , cruising catamarans, designed by Marsaudon Composites, are some of the fastest cruising catamarans in the world. 

Marsaudon developed the ship’s plans using racing boats’ streamlined designs and combined them with a cruising catamaran’s comfortable living spaces. The TS 42 has an inverted hull which helps it glide on the water swiftly without requiring much fuel, but it also has a spacious below-deck area with plenty of luxuries.

TS cruising catamarans are often considered the fastest cruisers on the market, with their speed comfortably reaching upwards of 35 knots in the right wind conditions. Generally, TS catamarans can sail at 20 knots, even with moderate wind. They are the perfect catamaran for racers and high-speed travelers, and yet they still have the amenities of a pleasant live-in vessel. 

The TS 42 has a large galley and comfortable cabins, making it a cozy home or vacation vessel. With multiple bathrooms, large windows, and open lounge spaces, these catamarans are superbly comfortable to live in. 

The deck and cabin space are divided by a large, openable window, which adds extra light and ventilation to the living areas. It also has plenty of on-deck space, which is rare in such a small vessel with an inverted hull. 

If you think I’m using too many confusing nautical terms, you’ll find all the answers on my Catamaran parts explained page .

• Length: 42.8 ft (13 m)
• Beam: 24.3 ft (7.4 m)
• Draft: 4.9 ft (1.5 m) with boards up and 7.5 ft (2.3 m) with boards down
• Displacement: 5.8 tonnes

Outremer 45

Based in France, Outremer (pronounced uutremeer 😉 ) designed their Outremer 45 to be a long-lasting cruising catamaran that sails smoothly at high speeds. The Outremer 45 can reach about 15 knots, but the most comfortable sailing speed is 10 knots. However, it can travel up to 25 knots in the right wind conditions, making it a quick ship with all of a perfect cruising catamaran’s luxuries. 

It is made for durability from carbon, vinyl ester, and divinycell so that it can last many years without repairs. The Outremer 45 has a narrow hull, and it is designed to be as thin as possible to maximize speed and fuel efficiency. Outremer 45 still has comfortable living quarters with large windows and lounge spaces within the boat. Indeed, it sacrifices no comfort for speed.

In this article, I talk a lot about catamaran characteristics, both interior and exterior, if that’s something you want to better understand, then I recommend an article where I write about trade-offs in design choices .

The Outremer 45 was initially designed to be a boat that would last 50 or more years, and it excels in its durability. It has an open, uniquely expansive side deck and plenty of on-deck conveniences that make sailing a breeze in the ORC50.

With supreme safety features such as tall railings, slip-free grips on deck, and enclosed lounge spaces, it is one of the safest catamarans available (is safety your top concern? I wrote a list of the safest catamarans on the market). 

• Maximum Speed: 25 knots
• Length: 48 ft (14.6 m)
• Beam: 23.3 ft (7.1 m)
• Draft: 3.3 ft (1 m) with boards up and 6.7 ft (2.04 m) with boards down
• Displacement: 8.2 to 11.1 tonnes

Marsaudon Composites ORC50

Marsaudon Composites designed the ORC50, or Ocean Rider Catamaran 50, with both speed and comfort in mind. The ORC50 can be used for cruising, but it is also a great racing boat that has been awarded honors from many races worldwide.

Marsaudon borrowed designs from racing skippers to plan the ORC50, bringing together a cruiser’s comfort with the speed of an award-winning racing boat. 

This cruising catamaran is lightweight, which allows it to gain speed at a fast rate, but still has comfortable living quarters inside the boat. It has a rotating carbon mast, which helps to eliminate turbulence over the mainsail and therefore increasing sail efficiency and speed!

With strong winds, the ORC50 can reach up to 23 knots , making it extremely fast for a cruising catamaran. The ORC50 can easily reach speeds much faster than the wind speed, which is a unique quality of this fast, yet comfortable catamaran.

The ORC50 is an excellent long-term living ship with its many organizational compartments, expansive galley, and well-ventilated sleeping cabin. It also has plenty of couches and seating areas built into the boat, and its intuitive design adds plenty of comfort to the cruising catamaran without weighing down the ship. 

• Length: 50 ft (15.23 m)
• Beam: 27 ft (8.2 m)
• Draft: 5.6 ft (1.7 m) with boards up and 8.9 ft (2.7 m) with boards down
• Displacement: 13 tonnes

FastCat 435

African Cat’s catamarans, including the FastCat 435, are designed for speed and racing. This ship is mainly composed of epoxy, fiberglass, and carbon components, making it very lightweight to ensure that it travels as swiftly as possible. 

The FastCat 435 may be as light as possible, but it is durable enough to last for many years in the most extreme conditions.

The FastCat 435 has comfortable living quarters and well-designed comfort spaces so that you can get the most out of your trips. The FastCat also has a green hybrid design, and it uses primarily electric power, which can help you prolong your sailing and use less fuel. 

I find solar-powered/electric cats pretty exciting, so much so that I wrote an entire article called The Best Solar-Powered Catamarans on the subject.

The FastCat is an excellent option for anyone who wants a smaller cat with a comfortable design and incredible speed. FastCat’s electric power is also a unique, favorable feature for anyone who wants to use less fuel. 

• Maximum Speed: 20 knots
• Length: 42.7 ft (13 m)
• Beam: 24.4 ft (7.4 m)
• Draft: 3.9 ft (1.2 m) with boards up
• Displacement: 2.4 tonnes

The Lagoon 440 cruising catamaran, like the FastCat, has an electric powering version, which cuts down on fossil fuel usage and ensures that your ship will keep moving. The Lagoon 440 is also among the easiest catamarans to maneuver, thanks to its electric drivetrain and automatic engines. 

The speed of the Lagoon 440 usually maxes out at 10 knots with low winds, but with higher winds, it can quickly gain speeds up to 20 knots (some argue even higher, but I’m doubtful). The Lagoon 440 is an excellent cruiser and comfortable catamaran, but it is not an all-out racing cat.

Lagoon is a well-known brand, but there are some caveats, and are Lagoons still making good catamarans?

Below the deck, the living spaces in the Lagoon 440 are magnificent. The ceilings are high, allowing the tallest of passengers to stand in the cabin. The many storage compartments and furnishings have a modern, elegant design. The interior is one large primary cabin with a few private spaces below the deck. 

• Length: 44.6 ft (13.6 m)
• Beam: 25.3 ft (7.7 m)
• Draft: 4.3 ft (1.3 m)
• Displacement: 10.5 tonnes

Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42

Fountaine Pajot designs some of the most luxurious yet speedy cruising catamarans available in the world. They are renowned for their safe, durable designs that make sailing a comfortable, relaxing experience. And on a personal note, i think the name sounds beautiful!

Their cruising catamarans use an inverted hull design that has become a signature mark of Fountaine Pajot vessels. This hull type allows the water to pass beneath the ship quickly, which increases the speed and fuel efficiency of the cat. 

The Astréa 42’s primary benefit is its spacious, comfortable living quarters and large, open deck spaces. The ship’s interior spaces have large windows, large lounging areas, and plenty of storage compartments. 

The cabin’s ventilation is also excellent, which reduces the classic musty smells of sea living. You can also get two different models of this catamaran, either in a one-cabin option or a two-cabin option, making it an excellent vessel for larger or smaller families.

The Astréa is ideal for long-term sea living and family vacations (it is not as fast as some more racing-oriented cats). Although the Astréa is not the speediest cat available, with its speed maxing out at about 10+ knots, even in favorable wind conditions, its luxurious atmosphere and comfortable cabin spaces make up for its relatively slow speed. 

Don’t get me wrong, despite its lower speed compared to the boats on this list, the Astréa 42 can still get you places quicker than many other cruising catamarans (and most monohulls). So, if you want all of the elegance and comfort of a cat and are not too worried about racing, this ship is an excellent option for you.  

• Maximum Speed: 10 knots
• Length: 41.3 ft (12.6 m)
• Beam: 23.6 ft (7.2 m)
• Draft: 4.1 ft (1.3 m)
• Displacement: 12.3 tonnes

Privilege Signature 510

The Privilege Signature 510 is a long-distance cruising catamaran designed for long-term voyages and sailing in extreme weather conditions. It features a durable, weatherproof design that will protect you from rainy and cold weather while sailing. 

The helm and living spaces are completely covered, making it safe to live in, even in cold or stormy weather. It also has an automatic sail adjustment system with the controls at the helm, allowing you to make any adjustments from the helm’s safety and comfort. 

Privilege Signature 510 also has an elegant, well-designed living space with plenty of amenities, including an accelerated cooling system, a spacious bathroom and kitchen, and plenty of windows for natural lighting.

With an elegant floor plan, this cozy ship is perfect for long-term living.

The Privilege Signature is not the fastest catamaran on the market, with a maximum speed of around 13 knots. Still, it is one of the quicker cats considering its elaborate amenities and comfortable size.

• Maximum Speed: 13 knots
• Length: 50 ft (15.24 m)
• Beam: 26 ft (7.98 m)
• Draft: 5 ft (1.57 m)
• Displacement: 25 tonnes

Although cruising catamarans are great boats for slowly cruising along the water, they can also be swift, substantial racing boats that reach speeds of up to 35 knots. These speedy cruising catamarans still come with all of the amenities of leisure boats, but they also reach incredible speeds without rocking or tossing. 

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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18' Trimaran vs F18 Catamaran

Discussion in ' Multihulls ' started by Doug Lord , Jun 13, 2010 .

Doug Lord Flight Ready

Does anyone know of an 18' trimaran design that has beaten or that has the numbers to possibly beat an F18 cat around a course? F18 Capricorn cat developed by Martin Fischer: SPECIFICATIONS Length 5.52 m / 18.1' Beam 2.60 m / 8.5' Mast 9.08 m / 29.78' Total Weight 180.00 kg / 396 lb. Sails: Mainsail 17.00 m2 / 182.9 sq. ft. Jib 3.45 / 4.15 m2 / 44.65 sq. ft. Upwind total: 227sq.ft.(big jib) Spinnaker 19.00 / 21.00 m2 / 225.9 sq.ft. Price € 18.000,= ------------- Only beach cat I know of with gybing daggerboards! http://www.f18.nl/index.php?Itemid=46&id=30&option=com_content&task=view  

Attached Files:

F18 capricorn specs developed by martin fischer.gif, f18 capricorn w-goodall main.jpg.

dstgean Senior Member

tri? I don't know of one--but I would have a hard time thinking it would be easy under a certain length. the A - D cats are open development and there aren't any serious contenders other than cats at this time. Dan  

dstgean said: ↑ I don't know of one--but I would have a hard time thinking it would be easy under a certain length. the A - D cats are open development and there aren't any serious contenders other than cats at this time. Dan Click to expand...

ThomD Senior Member

One thing that is a little too bad is that the Gougeons built quite a few boats many of which have never been that well documented. At one point I had some multihull digest type book, and there was a very small Gougeon articulated tri in it. It appeared to be a smaller version of Victor T, though maybe it was just perspective.  

Chris Ostlind Previous Member

So, the looming question is... Who cares? Really, who cares if an 18' tri can beat an F18 around some set of cans on the water's surface? Let's just say that it bothers somebody so much that they do draw and build a boat for the task... Then what? Does it mean that F18 sales will drop like a rock? Does it mean that multihull folks will all rush out and throw big money at the product and some worldwide fleet will appear over night?  

I care as would many other people. People who were impressed by Martin Fischers work on the development of the Capricorn F18 and his new boat. People who care about the new foil technology on the NACRA 20. Anybody that cares about the development of small multihull technology. People who like speed with comfort. People who liked the raised seats on the Hobie 17 and 18. People who were impressed with BMW-O USA! People who would value a boat that could be sailed with maximum sail area singlehanded or with a friend or two-with the same margin of safety and Righting Moment in either case. Since this design hasn't been done yet who knows what the technological advances incorporated in an 18' tri could lead to? Looking at the potential offers all kinds of approaches like a boat faster than an F18 that allows the crew to sit comfortably on the side of a center cockpit-no hiking, no trapezes ,no running back and forth. A boat whose chance of capsize or pitchpole would be an order of magnitude less than an F18 for the same or greater speed. A speed boat with advantages not found on any beachcat! It's not too hard to visualize a boat like this revolutionizing the small multihull market: intense speed(faster than the fastest F18), intense comfort, ease of handling and transport, a boat like no other on the market. I'd say there are a bunch of good reasons for a state of the art 18' tri....  

And I would suggest that you don't have a clue about that of which you speak. I'll leave the debunking to others, Doug, but your summary is so full of holes that it makes my eyes hurt to read it.  

Chris Ostlind said: ↑ I'll leave the debunking to others, Doug, but your summary is so full of holes that it makes my eyes hurt to read it. Click to expand...

Yep, that's it, Doug. I simply do not understand it.  

Thats ok, Chris-I know....  

Doug Halsey Senior Member

Hey Chris, I, for one, am interested in the tri vs. cat question, both for small round-the-buoys racers & for large round-the-world records. If you don't find any particular thread interesting, feel free to ignore it. Please stop subjecting all of us to your petty, juvenile rants. Doug Halsey  

F18 vs 18' tri There are a number of considerations in a possible F18 killer tri. This is just one angle to look at: 1 ) the tri would have between 14' and 18' of beam. 2 ) the tri would be designed to fly the main hull from a 5 knot wind 3 ) the tri could be designed to have the same or much more SA than the cat 4 ) the tri would be designed to achieve maximum RM either single handed or with two people aboard 5 ) the tri could be designed to have crew seating near the center of the boat virtually regardless of SA(within reason) 6 ) the keys to this kind of tri, in my opinion are: a. use of lifting hydrofoils on the main hull daggerboard and on the rudder, b. the foils enhance the pitch stability of the boat but can also be designed to use an altitude control system that can be designed to allow the tri to fly with the main hull just above the water, c. The altitude control system will allow the main hull to fly earlier than it would otherwise AND prevent the boat from heeling too far by pulling down as necessary and automatically. d. The foils + altitude control system are why the boat will always develop maximum RM regardless of how little the crew may weigh and why it could be singlehanded at full power. 7 ) Because of the foils and altitude control system a tri like this would allow the crew to sit near the center of the boat in the most comfortable way possible with no need for trapezes and running side to side. 8 ) Because this boat would use a two foil system both foils would seriously augment the pitch stability of the boat. 9 ) There are a three(or more ) ways the amas can be configured but one critical aspect is that they must be very small-approx 70% of total displacement-maybe less. a. a displacement ama would definitely use foil assist like the ORMA tris do or with an an adaptation of Hugh Wellborns DSS system using a pivoting horizontal board-both of which allow easy foil retraction. This is the "mini-USA" option! b. A concept I've been working on a little at time for several years is the ROH -rotating hull ama. If it proves out it would allow the same hull to be both a displacement and a stepped planing hull. It might have a top end speed advantage. Either this or "a." would probably be the best(and most marketable) system. c. a displacement ama using a surface piercing or t-foil designed to fly the ama(when the main hull is flying). Seems to me the foil would have to be easily retracted for light air, 10 ) the boat could fold or just use plug in amas.. --------------------------- Just a few ideas that I think could result in a design that could beat an F18-both on the water and in the market. I'd like to hear constructive ideas from anybody that's interested ....  

Paul B Previous Member

Doug Lord said: ↑ A boat whose chance of capsize or pitchpole would be an order of magnitude less than an F18 for the same or greater speed. Click to expand...

Doug Halsey said: ↑ Hey Chris, I, for one, am interested in the tri vs. cat question, both for small round-the-buoys racers & for large round-the-world records. Click to expand...

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No, I can't accurately quantify it-at this point. An "order of magnitude" was ,technically" probably a poor choice of words. However, it serves to illustrate that the resistance to pitch of the tri can be much larger than an F 18 because the tri uses lifting foils on the daggerboard and on the rudder. These foils work in concert with the ama and the ama foil or planing surface, whose center of lift is ahead of the CG, to resist pitch in a way that is not available to an F 18. A completed design would be able to quantify this in precise comparative terms.  

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