Randy Smyth’s Catamaran Tips

1. One thing that takes a lot of attention on a catamaran is focusing on the wind flow around the sails, which is indicated by the telltales (light streamers, such as yarn, attached to the sails). Since we have full battens in the mainsail, it always looks good whether you’re right or wrong in your trim. But when the telltales flow around the sail, you’re getting a tremendous increase in speed. That requires more manipulation of the sails.

2. Keep the hulls from flying. If you get the hull way up in the air, you’re actually losing power in the rig, and the rudders and daggerboard are less efficient. You’re always striving to keep the windward hull just out of the water. You’re sailing on that one leeward hull, doing a balancing act, but you’re not dragging the windward hull or flying it in the air. Try to let the windward hull just kiss each wave.

3. The biggest catastrophe is tipping over. Catamarans have the reputation of being extremely stable because they’re so wide, but, in fact, they give you a little more confidence than they should. Without a lead keel down there, the more they tip, the less stability they have. You can very quickly find yourself in the water, losing the race. The best thing is to avoid cleats on the boat and handhold the mainsheet in either the skipper’s or the crew’s hand so you can release it quickly if you start to go.

4. Fore and aft weight trim is sensitive in that in light-to-medium wind you’re striving to keep the bows fairly deep in the water and the transom just touching the surface. When you get into moderate-to-heavy wind, you’re moving toward the back of the boat to keep the bows up and avoid pitching forward.

5. The best technique for sailors of small catamarans is to hand the mainsheet over to the crew members so they can regulate the heel angle. That leaves the skipper free to keep the boat on a proper course as the wind shifts. The coordination between skipper and crew takes some practice, but once mastered, it’s by far the fastest way to race. A girl using both arms and legs has more strength than any guy using only one arm. The crew has a lot of leverage.