Cat People

Charter companies have been largely responsible for the growing popularity of catamarans as cruising platforms. Many sailors get their first taste of sailing on two hulls during a charter vacation, and in some charter fleets cats now outnumber monohulls. South African company Robertson & Caine has built most of the cats in The Moorings and Sunsail charter fleets, and its latest boat is the Sunsail 384, designed by the American firm Morelli & Melvin.

The boat, which will come into service later this year, bears a superficial family resemblance to its 40' and 46' siblings, but among the evolutionary features are vertical saloon windows protected by an overhang. The boat is geared towards outdoor living, with the galley on the bridgedeck. As a charter boat, a complement of up to eight is served by the four cabin/two head arrangement. There’s also lots of room to stretch out in the cockpit or on the trampoline. Even if cats aren’t your thing, you have to admit that they are extremely practical boats.

Expect this boat to also appear for private sale as the (new) Leopard 38. I find its lines attractive and with its design pedigree (M&M designed the late Steve Fossett’s record-setting Playstation catamaran) it should perform well too.

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