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kitty cat


bush pig
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hi,

if i can recall correctly, the "kitty cat" was a design of "charles/lyndsay cunningham", many years ago. all his cats were named after girls, i think they were his daughters. "gwen","yvonne"and others. He was a pioneer in catamaran design, and brought catamaran sailing to the fore in australia. i would advise you to check up on this, but i am sure this is pretty accurate, there are still many of these historical cats sailing today.

pete smile.gif

[This message has been edited by xmatelot (edited 25 December 2006).]

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ps,

i think that the "kitty cat" originally beat all the 14ft skiffs and was banned from competition, because it offended the sailing authorities ,"IT HAS TWO HULLS" , it also had a spinnaker and was very ,very fast for a 14ft boat.

i am sure "darryl barret" has more information than my poor memory, and hopefully he reads your post and answers you question better than me.

pete wink.gif

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PPS,

oops,off on the wrong tack

i was not nearly correct, kitty cat 12ft not a cunningham design.

these are

yvonne 20ft

quickcat 16ft

gwen 12ft

fiftyplus years ago.

pete redface.gif

[This message has been edited by xmatelot (edited 25 December 2006).]

[This message has been edited by xmatelot (edited 26 December 2006).]

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I believe the Kittycat on Ebay is a Cunningham design. These boats were open design to a loose set of rules kind of like the development A Class.

Check out the reverse rudder system on this boat with the center tiller and tiller extension running off it.... This is a trade mark of most Cunningham designs. You can also see this on my Dolphin pics.

kittycat1a.jpg

[This message has been edited by tornado (edited 26 December 2006).]

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i know we are getting away from the original question(re Kitty Cats) but seeing the "C class" pics reminded me of sailing in the last "CAT week"?? at Sorrento , Miss Nylex, and Miss X were there , the smoothest ,quietest cats i ever sailed with, we were sailing along, quite well, when a far distant voice called "Starboard", and this "floating football field", appeared, and just as quickly vanished.

happy times.

pete smile.gif

[This message has been edited by xmatelot (edited 26 December 2006).]

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Pete,

Now you're dating yourself... and a few of the rest of us. That Cat week i think was in 1980-81? It was burgeoning year for the Hydra's, we had 35 or more. There was fleet of the Kitty's as i remember.

The previous year was the 1st 5.2 Nationals as i recall (Port Lincoln).

Mitch (Booth) won (as a fresh faced 18 or 19 y.o.) with a number of bullets and invented the trapeze thing with the crew on shoulders job...

Graeme Pascoe & Lee Todner (good looking young lady) won the Hydra's both years.

And yes the C-class were just amazing.... Just a quiet shadow blasting over the top you, (or even underneath us in 1 race)...

Wow, now thats a blast down memory lane.

See you soon Pete.

Regards, wink.gif

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  • 1 month later...
  • 11 months later...

Darrell is right,Kittycat was designed by Jim Young in approx.mid 50s to contest the Interdominion Challenge against 12ft Skiffs & Cherub.They were built in sheet ply to a hard chine design or cold moulded round bilge.They carried big low aspect sloop rig & flat spinnaker,with one on the wire.I sailed one in WA in about 1960 & being a 12ft blunt entry fast boat it was the wettest ride ever.

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  • 4 months later...

The Kitty Cat was designed by Jim Young to contest the Silasec Trophy for the Austrailasian 12ft unrestricted Q class in 1958 John Peet was the first owner and when he asked the class he was biulding a cat and could he sail in the trials they said sure please go ahead, seems the cats of the day didn't sail that well and the mono hulls felt happy to include a cat. When the Aussies turned up in Auckland to race they were not very happy. Seems the rules only restricted length not number of hulls. a year later they changed that rule but by then more than 20 kitty cats were racing and a new division had been started. You may have also heard of a rocket 40 called Buckle Up in Sydney a 40fter that was also designed by Jim Young in the mid 80's that was beating the cats of the day around Sydney Harbour. I am also looking for information on her. We might not be able to play cricket but Kiwis can sure design fast yachts eh oka. Ps if you have any good sheep jokes you can send them too. Get a piedy up ya, a piedy is a 22ft hard chine ply yacht designed by Des Townson sailed by young sailors keen on a rum now and then.

Look forward to hearing from you guys, cheers

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Hi all,

don't know if this will be any help. But the Kitty's where prominent at the club I grew up at Latrobe Valley Y.C. in Vic. Host of the Sauna Sail, Commodore and his sons sailed them for years, even had a Nationals there once. I sailed them a few times, last one I saw 10 years or so ago had a taller rig square top and Assymetrical kite with both on the wire. A real mean bit of gear. all gone from LVYC now though. From what I hear Williamstown would be your only chance for boats sailing, in Vic any way. They use to sail at a club well up the Swan River in WA also I think, can't remember the club name.

Regards Gary.

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thanks gary, I'll see if I can track any down. I know its a long shot, but you just never know. I received a package in the post last week of about 30 newspaper cuttings from the 1958-62 era all about the Kitty Cat and Jim Young is digging a few stories for me. However more is always good.

Cheers

Happy Sailing

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  • 1 month later...

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