Harken: Deck Layout A-Class Catamaran

A-Class Catamaran

“Talk about fun, at 165 pounds with a 30-foot tall mast, the A Cat is one of the most amazing boats on this planet. This is the result of a very simple box rule that only measures four things; length, width, weight and sail area. They are so slippery; you fly up wind silently and can tack through 70 degrees. Downwind they are fast, lively, and loose. Above 9 knots downwind you sit on centerline, fly a hull and send it.

The A Cat may be easy to sail, but very hard to sail well. It is an apparent wind game. Being so light it accelerates/ decelerates quickly. The good guys are trimmed right and going; make one mistake and they are gone. I have a very high regard for the cat sailors here and foster no false illusions of how challenging this regatta will be. It will make me a better sailor, I know that much. This reminds me of learning how to sail and race 18-footers ten years ago; we thought we’d never learn. It is going to be fun watching all the cat legends perform: Pete Melvin, Glenn Ashby, Randy Smyth, Lars Guck, Scott Anderson, Mike Drummond, Luc du Bois, Mitch Booth, Charlie Ogletree, Jay Glaser, Pease Glaser and more.” -- Howie Hamlin

A-Class sailors are leaders in design innovation, introducing the use of exotic materials, the carbon mast, square top mainsail and wave-piercing hull to other sports catamarans. The class's large international following attracts the world's top sailors, with 100 boats competing for honors during world championships.

Harken part numbers link to Harken on-line store.

Mainsheet Traveler
The primary use of the mainsheet traveler is to de-power the boat when sailing downwind. This 2:1 system lets the car run downhill rapidly, but still has the muscle to haul the car to weather.

Mainsheet
A 40 mm Carbo Ratchamatic® controls this powerful 8:1 system. The ratchet mechanism in the sheave automatically engages as loads increase. When eased, the ratchet automatically disengages, allowing unloaded sheets to run out instantly during mark roundings and jibes. The lower block rotates so the sheet follows the driver on both tacks.

outhaul
The 2:1 outhaul system controls the shape of the foot of the main. Upwind, a tight outhaul flattens the foot. Loosening the outhaul increases the draft for light air or off wind sailing.

cunningham
The 12:1 cascaded cunningham controls luff tension at the leading edge of the sail. Contained in a compact package inside the spar, the double-ended system allows crew to quickly power or depower the sail from the trapeze.

Links:
A-Class Catamaran: www.usaca.info/