New to catamarans, Adelaide

[Boatsie]

Looking at a small skiffing cat to practice sail with next 10 years.  A yearly raced national class preferred. Possibly just me and a mainsail locally on days of my ability to begin with until I find a mate. 

 

At the moment 3 boats I'm interested in include Stingray,  Cobra, Tornado. 

I work a lot,  I don't visit the dinghy clubs,  I'd rather the Tornado because she's a huge international class and a monster of a family boat but not sure if I could store her yet (found a hole 10.5*7.5feet). 

I'd prefer Largs Bay Sailing club as my tour D cans. 

Unsure about my plan,  we're wear where?  Where's the most appropriate wear of wind to locally race such classes? 

I am very ignorant of dinghy racing.  I'd skippered a keel yacht a season yet someone else had organized all that.  

Has to be raced north of Brighton or knot along the coast. 

Any thoughts please?  Any cat classes I should look at in Adelaide? 

Nathan 

[Boatsie]

Edit: addition :

An old man.  Great parents.  Dad built a Paper Tiger using hulls built at Lonsdale years ago.. Late 70s.  If boat found in Adelaide /Melbourne they'll probably go fetch and have a holiday.  I'm old,  he's older;  won't race. 

Budget very small.  Grows slowly.  Storage tight at moment but renovating to home a vessel.  Plan seen as 2week or 2 year.  Wanting sail practice in case I earn a cruiser later on. Can sail well. Know laws. Not that competitive though.  In it to fun. 

Would rather something I may race though. 

[madboutcats]

Largs is a great place to sail but you may be the only cat there, when I was at school at Taperoo high it had a big cat fleet but now not so much, are you looking to race against other cats?

[Boatsie]

Yes.  

I was at Ocean View High too. 

I think dad raced a couple of times (unsure),  with his Paper Tiger at LBSC. Early 80s. 

Had a lot of mates in Sharpies there 90s. 

Yeah I'd love to Saturday race a cat.  Depending upon boat which I haven't acquired yet,  I might be a season later.  Organizing now. 

Most probable is a Tornado.  I don't know trapeze.  I've learnt the importance of high flowing the back of the sails.  Hence I'll be happy laughing at back of pack. 

[Boatsie]

This is where I'm at bro.  I doubt I have the helm reflexes to catch a clew steered thin skiff such as a cat.  I have reflexes and I'm stoked that recent travel blind caught me the wrist of a professional pick pocket withdrawing 5grand from my pocket. (Aus $250). But flying a hull,  skimming a blade and skiffing with a Leeward hull of about a foot width isn't that big a stance during dance. YouTube amazes me, you guys make it look easy. I hope to be comfortable within 3 years. 

I haven't touched sheet nor helm in about 20 years. We might be 3 years before we're standing on her dance. Hopefully I/we can go our cans this season and get some practice in.  

Very interested in 2 boats at moment.  Not fussed if both sell and I wait another.  In it to have fun and sail fast soon. Hoping to find time to fill in the back field at nationals in near future. 

$4000 foam glass Tornado on trailer ready to sail. Available May.. 

$1500 ply glass Stingray on trailer.  All rot cut out,  almost ready to sail.  Small bits like tiller arm. 

Yes,  interested with racing amongst other cats.  I won't be fluent.  I'd probably hull sit on main a season and wait to find a crew. If trapeze is quick to learn,  you beauty.. 

I've heard Mosquitoes are racing 2up at Brighton.  I like Largs because it's a nice natural bay. (And it's close). Brighton would take me +an hour morning,  + an hour evening. 

What's the go on race days?  Eg.  What time does prerace rigging usually occur? I honestly haven't a clue.  

Boats on beach 10am?  Launch 11? Earlier,  later? 

Wishes you well,  Nathan 

[Boatsie]

Mosquitos on gumtree look tasty too.  I'm guessing they rig/derig easilier and have a larger local fleet.  They'd be big enough to me.  I had an Arrow 25 years ago but don't remember well. 

Do you guys have much hassles solo rigging/derigging rotational spar rigs? 

I'm guessing a lot of days will be solo. 

[Boatsie]

Lastly,  I feel like an idiot.. 

When does race season start? 

Which club would best suit I please? 

Probably best if I just rock up and go from there.  Won't matter if I can't match race,  a race or 2 and I'll find someone of similar knots to play with. 

Thanx.  (The cats done my head in.  )

[Boatsie]

I write to much,  I'd value your opinions if able to print. 

These are the two cats I'm interested in. A frozen glimpse of time. Both cats have a basic rig.  No ram pole guy clew and sock to add to my repair/maintenance pile once underway. A gutsy fully batterned main with a quality leading edge. A hedsail. 

Orange Stingray currently on Ebay at $1000. An educated owner.  Trailer perfect.  Was cared well with storage until recently. Hulls recently overhauled and tight.  Glass ply sandwich. Vandals cut the tiller yet basically ready to go with very little effort. 

I like the price,  the trailers with SA plates and the hulls look surf likeable.  The large volume bows and the low volume sterns look sturdy in weather from my prospective. 2 on trap,  guy clew pole upgradable with respect to design riggers comments per another forum/topic.  From experience,  if I was to further enhance hull brace rigidity using cross section cut tarpaulin I could do so without hassles of cross windage towing as she tows flat. I'm guessing there's a few in SA hence you beauty around the cans. 

White Tornado looks like a missile. $3600 with single trap classic rig.  I like the beam,  that'd compensate a lot of heel torque. They're both above my level but I learn. Not liking assembly thoughts.  Shouldn't be too much of a hassle. A little bit of wonder here exists regarding the tarpaulin. Plenty of modern rigs exist if she's ever over ended and snapped. She has a full length boat cover and she's kept inside a garage.  A sound glass foam sandwich ready to rock and roll.  I have a large tarp which can cover her cover while she sits flat under partial cover if she finds home here.  If she uses garage she'll need flat tyres and a partial tilt arrangement.  Hole 8*9 foot. 

I will be removing some race pedigree from the girl I find.  Battens should make easy to reef main.  I'd probably not bother using the hedsail. Round her up. I like night,  bright shine upon cloth as illumination to allow others in the playground to know I'm there.  A small tranny clip able to stay to allow a 9metre aerial receives ABC weather.  They are a regular forecast.  Wrist alarm will allow hull drop and listen. Just in case.  

I'm sitting until May.  Any opinions regarding handling of either or another would be greatly appreciated.  Any opinions regarding setting up launch, wash down, etc too please. Just a happy guy without a guy clew to watch. 

 

[Boatsie]

Thanx Madboutcats, thanx others,  thoughts are kind. 

I do write too much.  I think I'll finish my input and sail soon.. 

My biggest source of information is my old man.  The Tornado will fit here but reversing into a gap with less than 1/4 foot either sides of gonne Wales (:)) isn't appealing.  Speeding in the harbour is.  Yet years ago they clocked someone on a Paper Tiger at 39 knots in flat waters,  non restriction of wind behind a harbour wall in NSW? hence on a plane,  a boats a skiff and balancing light with might is almost flight unless your foiling the moment. 

The Stingray is the largest cheap cat that I can think of that will easily tow and store inside where I am.  I really like the older design???  large volume bows.  Beyond displacement buries the bow due to the uniformity of water;  the uniform mass returns to the trough of displacement slower than the hulls wave length. Water is an easy path and it's easy to push out of the way and more inefficient an energy use to compress below hence bow sinks until planing when knots are above displacement speeds. I'd rather something with that little bit of safety than snap a spar in the shallows like the old man did. This could also be useful in challenging sea conditions. 

I'm off to ask quest I on in the Stingray /Cobra forum. Maybe someone there might have a language that describes their know. 

Simple stuff like ease of 1 man balancing on boat or does design pedigree create difficulty with such a 2 man vessel. 

Handling,  rigging,  catsized righting.