[MHml] Catamaran vs Trimaran

[Roy Mills]

At 10:21 AM 11/1/06, you wrote:
>A variation on this theme, which I always wondered about (being a
>catamaran owner), was the claim that trimarans were better going to
>windward and catamarans were better on reaches.

         Well, they do tend to tack better than cats, which can be a 
feature of windward going. I do think they are better in light winds, 
less wetted surface usually.


>One argument for the better windward ability of the tris was that with a
>center hull, they could get better tension on the forestay.  This made
>sense to me in my old fixed-mast monohull days, but is that still true
>with more modern three-stay rotating-mast rigs?  I don't see how tris
>with that configuration could have better forestay tension than a cat.

         Even without the rotating rig I would think that the high 
roached and square topped mainsails will have done away with 
backstays, unless there are two which are shifted between tacks.


>I would suppose then that it comes down to the fact (dare I use that
>word?) that tris can withstand more heeling force on a beat, and a cat's
>bow can withstand more bow burying force than a trimaran ama on a reach.

         Quite possibly. Something not mentioned in your post Larry 
is that  tank tests indicate that with boards fully raised a cat, 
laying ahull, copes better with storm waves than a tri. Not something 
most of us wish to contemplate.


>Uh, please address the rig question before telling me I'm wrong about
>the second statement.
>
>Thanks,
>Larry Forgy

         Roy