CATAMARAN HANDBOOK

CATAMARAN HANDBOOK

138 Pages...FULL COLOUR throughout!

Catamarans are fast & offer the perfect combination of a light-weight craft, the minimum amount of hull beneath the water & a large sail. They are a performance machine & one of the most exhilarating craft on the water Expertly guides you through all you need to know from choosing a cat, build a platform, rigging, wind & water, spinnaker sailing & catamaran racing.

CONTENTS

WHY SAIL A CATAMARAN?; Two hulls can be more stable, more powerful & a lot more fun

MODERN CATAMARAN CLASSES; Some cats that have played a major roll in the development of the sport

WHAT ARE CATAMARANS MADE OF?; All you need to know from cheap durable rotomoulding to superlight epoxy carbon

CHOOSING A CAT; It's cost? Recreation or race? Who will crew? Which sails? Skegs or boards?

CAT COMPONENTS & CONTROLS; The Platform; The rotating wing; the controls

CLOTHING & EQUIPMENT; Cold & warm conditions; Hands & feet; Staying afloat; Hooking on

BUILDING A PLATFORM; Assembling a brand new cat from the box

TRAILING A CAT; On the road; Choosing a trailer; packing a trailer; Trailer sense; Roof rack cats

RIGGING A CAT; Raising the mast; Trapeze wires; Useful Knots; Rudder assembly; Hoisting sails; Spinnaker sense; At the end of the day

WIND & WATER; Positive & Negative; Optimum Angles; True & Apparent wind; Sideslip & Lift

RIGHTS OF WAY; Port & Starboard; Windward boat; Overtaking boat; Power gives way to sail

POINTS OF SAILING; Where can you go?: Beating, Reaching, Running

ALL THE FUN OF A TRAPEZE; Trapeze facts, Trapezing crew, Trapezing helm, Bertwaite system, On the wire

LAUNCHING & LANDING, Whereto lauch & land, Wind direction, Using wheels, Launching in different wind directions, Landing in different wind directions

SAILING UPWIND

SAILING OFFWIND & DOWNWIND

SPINNAKER SAILING

CAPSIZE

CATAMARAN RACING

ROUND THE COURSE WITH TOP CREWS

TUNING FOR PERFORMANCE

BEAUFORT SCALE

USEFUL WEB ADDRESSES

GLOSSARY

INDEX