MARTINET.

DEPARTMENTS Hello, Mr. Bedard, I recall reading, long ago in another magazine, about a small (23' LOA) production fiberglass sailing catamaran that was built in the U.K. in the 1960s or '70s. When a low bridge comes along, we ease the topsail halyard, bringing the peak of the gaff to the elevation of the masthead (45' above the water), and sail right under the nasty thing. With a combination of low DL ratio and narrow hull, your hull speed will likely be close to 11 knots (a speed-to- length ratio of 1.86, as opposed to the accepted 1.34 for more traditional hull forms). I would add a foredeck between the bows of the two hulls and a bowsprit about 7' 6" long, and try a cutter rig with a second headsail. [Extracted from the article]