[quote=erice]it's also about optimal righting moment and tacking ability
my 8.5' wide old nacra 5.2 is perfect solo for the generally light air lake i sail on
cats go most efficiently flying 1 hull
around 8kn winds i can go upwind flying 1 hull if i come in off the hull and sit on the tramp
10kn, i sit on the hull to fly
12kn it's in windsurf harness on the trap just out from the hull
15kn it's right out on the trap
it's very rare the winds go much above that and that the extra righting moment of a 10' wide hull would be worth the penalty in being unable to fly the hull in lighter winds
then there's the slower tack times of wider boats
seems to me that cat width of half hull length is about perfect. no compromise needed for 16 + 17' cats
but when you get above 18' cats could be a little wider
but the hassle in trailering means it's not worth it[/quote]
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