The whole boat seems so familiar: with the same 8' 6" beam as the Inter 18, the same rudders and dagger boards and the same high quality Harken fittings. The hulls though are narrow and a foot shorter than the F-18 boat.
On its fat wheeled trolley it is easy to move about the dinghy park even though it is not a light weight boat. I pull it into the water and drag out the trolley. Floating high in the water on narrow hulls it appears even more elegant in the water than on land.
From on deck the clear platform seems like an aircraft carrier all the controls hidden away. Most beachcats seem so cluttered but this boat with its aluminium boom seems designed to go to work.
With the light winds I sit well forward on the windward hull and watch the water as it passes beneath the opposite hull. The wind comes and goes but it is always possible to move confidently forward.
Going about is a nightmare in light weather on the older style catamarans but this Inter is almost too easy . The owner of this boat likes a weather helm but try as he may he could not get any.
I sail passed a Dart 16 and a Laser 4000 as we all struggle to find any power for boats.
I give up and decide to try later if the weather picks up.
The wind hits twelve knots and I have another go - again the helm is so light and the boat so manageable.
Up wind the outer hull sticks in but coming off the wind up comes the hull and the thumping that has been going on stops, its almost too quiet now. I ease and lift keeping the hull from dropping back in. Just like the 18 it is so difficult to know how fast you are going untill you pass another boat. Again I eat up a Dart 16 a boat that seemed such fun just a couple of weeks ago.
Down wind the boat is not so fast as some others and you need to broad reach down wind and really go for boat speed. You travel a long way but thats the price for a quick leg.
I would love to race this boat - it is what a single hander should be.
