The Catamaran Book

A well-rounded guide covering the techniques and skills needed to succeed in catamaran sailing, for those starting out through to those striving for championship wins. Whether you are a youngster choosing your first cat, a club sailor looking to improve your results, or a seasoned racer embarking on a higher performance model, expert advice from Tom & Brian Phipps will take your catamaran sailing to the next level. Beginning with key theory and seamanship skills, the Phipps take you through your early sailing experiences and caring for your catamaran. Developing your skills on all points of sailing, you will be introduced to trapezing, race tuning and racing itself. As your confidence grows you move onto advanced techniques and high performance catamarans. The final section gives you a glimpse of the cutting edge of catamaran sailing with foiling platforms and solid wings. 30 focussed chapters are packed with over 350 photographs showing you exactly how it's done, with diagrams illustrating key boat parts, the various points of sailing and complex on-the-water scenarios with clarity. Whatever your background, your current level or the extent of your ambition, this book gives you all the tools you need to get out on the water and improve your catamaran sailing.

The modern cruising catamaran has arrived The arguments are over and the verdict is in--cruising catamarans comprise a rapidly growing percentage of the cruising fleet worldwide. Their advantages of space, stability, speed, and handling under power are truly compelling, and modern cats are every bit as reliable as monohulls. This long overdue, in-depth guide will help you choose and cruise the right catamaran for your needs. “An authoritative guide for novices and experienced sailors; the best book written on the subjects since the early 1990s.”--“Trimaran” Jim Brown, renowned multihull designer “In Catamarans, Gregor Tarjan shares his enthusiasm for yachts with two hulls, based on years of sailing all types. An excellent introduction.”--Dick Newick, legendary catamaran and trimaran designer “If you are contemplating spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a cruising catamaran, the small price of this book is probably the best investment you could possibly start with.”--from the Foreword by Charles K. Chiodi, publisher of Multihulls Magazine

High speed catamaran and multihull high speed marine vessel have become very popular in the last two decades. The catamaran has become the vessel of choice for the majority of high speed ferry operators worldwide. There have been significant advances in structural materials, and structural design has been combined with higher power density and fuel efficient engines to deliver ferries of increasing size. The multihull has proven itself to be a suitable configuration for active power projection across oceans as well as for coastal patrol and protection, operating at high speedd for insertion or retrieval with a low energy capability. At present there is no easily accessible material covering the combination of hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, and design issues including structures, powering and propulsion for these vehicles. Coverage in High Speed Catamarans and Multihulls includes an introduction to the history, evolution, and development of catamarans, followed by a theoretical calculation of wave resistance in shallow and deep water, as well as the drag components of the multihull. A discussion of vessel concept design describing design characteristics, empirical regression for determination of principal dimensions in preliminary design, general arrangement, and methods is also included. The book concludes with a discussion of experimental future vehicles currently in development including the small waterplane twin hull vessels, wave piercing catamarans, planing catamarans, tunnel planing catamarans and other multihull vessels.

Catamarans: Tomorrow's Superyachts is dedicated to luxury catamarans, featuring interviews with leading designers and surveying desirable attributes to look for when purchasing or chartering a large catamaran.

Learn about cruising catamaran virtues and vices. Read more historical information and actual facts and figures about production cruising catamarans and the industry that produces them. Peruse little publicized characteristics that inhibit the potential performance of these boats. Cruising in Catamarans provides a blueprint for realistic expectations and contains charts, diagrams and a unique methodology for assessing various boats. Learn the techniques of cruising catamaran sailing and handling. Learn when to reef, how to judge leeway; how to anchor light displacement boats including the techniques of bridling, how to take powerboat wakes, how to handle twin-screw cats. Learn about what characteristics are best for safe pleasant voyaging and which ones to shun like the plague.

The Comprehensive Sailing Start-Up Resource Can a keelboat tip over? Can I take a centerboard boat onto open water? How can I determine what boat I want? Once I do, what’s a fair price to pay for it? Should I buy it new or used? How can I tell the difference between a used boat and one that’s used up? Now that I have it, how can I start sailing quickly and safely? Your First Sailboat is the first book to answer all your questions about selecting, buying, maintaining, and using your first boat. This user-friendly guide covers issues that other books ignore, including how to choose between a trailer sailer, daysailer, raceboat, cruiser, or multihull; what hull material is best for your first boat; whether to buy new or used; where to shop; how to judge quality and condition; where to keep your new boat; and what to do about gear, loans, insurance, and annual maintenance. Special features of this all-in-one handbook include: A descriptive buying guide to 75 recommended sailboats of all types and sizes, from daysailers to racers, cruisers, and multihulls A decision tree to guide you to your ideal starter boat Complete instructions on how to care for and sail your boat as well as how to acquire it Straightforward and fun, Your First Sailboat gives you just what you need to stop asking questions and start sailing. Everything else is optional. Save time. Save money. This book omits everything you don’t need to know.