Click to download these reviews. They require Acrobat Reader.

Westcat catamarans were developed as offshore sport fishing and sea rescue boas capable of handling the often-changing weather conditions experienced on the southern west coast of Australia. 2 metre swells and a 25 -28 knot " sea breeze" is normal. What we wanted was a boat that was safe, stable, soft riding, economical on fuel and would suit a wide variety of propulsion systems. Scale models were built and tested until the final design was achieved and construction of plugs and moulds commenced. Some of the design features included wider sponsons, reverse chines, asymmetric hulls, tapered narrow tunnel, large wave breaker and a deep hull especially at the bow. So how do these design features work...

The wider sponsons mean inboard engines can be fitted and also provide a more stable ride in choppy conditions.

Reverse chines help the hull onto the plane and roll displaced spray back into the water.

The design of the hulls below the chine line is such that it will roll into the turn.

The tapered tunnel acts to funnel water and air, increasing lift and resulting in a softer ride and lifting the transom of the boat. An added benefit of the increased airflow is the air exits the tunnel faster removing that annoying mist at the transom associated with many cats.

The depth of the hull, especially forward raises the bow quite a distance from the water giving better visibility and all but eliminating slop on the bow and 'tunnel slap', even at low speeds into a heavy head sea.