I remember years ago seeing Kittycat's sailing regularly in Western Australia, Victoria and New Zealand.
This multihull was 12 foot long, with a crew of 2 (1 on trapeze), main + jib + spinnaker.
They seem to have disappeared, are there any still around ?. Has anyone any further information on these craft and their availability ?.
Thanks
I believe 2 on traps and was used with devastating effect in the 12 footer Interdominians. Skiff rules were changed after that, banning Multihulls.
There are still a small group of enthusiastic followers in Victoria which race the upgraded Kittycat with bowsprit. Don’t know about the NZ scene though.
The Kittycat is still a registered class with Yachting Australia.
![[Linked Image]](http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/Tornado_ALIVE/Kittycat.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/Tornado_ALIVE/Kittycat2small.jpg)
THE NEXT TYBEE BOAT RIGHT HERE FOLKS!
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Hull shape looks almost....modern!
Put a carbon rig, pentax sailplan and some daggarboards, and you've got a rocket ship...
I had a KittyCat when I was a youngster, my first catamaran, 27 years ago. After sailing Mirrors and Flying 11's it was very fast but fragile. Required a rebuild after everysail. We called it the
boatpark special
, looked great in the rigging area, but self distructed on the race course. Thinking back on it though we were rather hard on it, being kids, and some of our repairs were very agricultural.
The hulls had lots of bouyancy being wide and blunt, it was heavy, the one I had was anyway, the genoa was huge and the asymetric had a wire luff, single centreboard too, solid deck. I put twin trapeze wires on it probably contributing to the self destruction.
Funny to realise I was sailing a cat with a spinnaker when I was a kid, moved onto skiffs after that boat, I never have understood the great devide between mono's and cats, maybe thats why.
Darryn,
Mosquito 1704 (spinnakerless)
Thanks for that info, yep I remember them as little rocketships. Getting rid of the spinnaker pole and using the bowsprit makes them look like a good speed thrill machine. Maybe could be sailed solo without the kite?, the mind boggles.
I'm a Sandgroper browsing around looking at getting back into the double hull league again. I was looking at the middle strata of boats (big trendy speedy boats = lotto winnings) and just remembered the Kittycat. A Mossie might also fit the bill.
I will keep my eyes and ears open to any suggestions or ideas.
Have a good look at the Alpha Omega F14,These cats are
somthing else
You can see a video of them sailing (flying?) on the web
Try this link then scroll down to
formula 14 cats in Australia
http:/
Quote from New Zealand Crew 'Forum'
http:/
I'm no expert on the history of these boats - the following is my memory - but I could well have some of my facts wrong.
I think Jim Young designed the Kitty Kat, and somebody (the Peet family of Glendowie Boating Club rings a bell) raced the boat with the 12 footers - either at NZ level or maybe the interdominions. That would have been in the late 50s I think (1958? about the the same time that Don Harland raced his Cherub as a 12 footer against what were then called Q Class in Auckland) - or maybe it was a bit later.
I think there was an article about this in one of the boating magazines a few years back (OK - maybe more than a few years) - perhaps written by Paul Titchener who has done a lot of writing about Auckland (Devonport in particular) and sailing over the years.
If I'm right about the Peets - then Brian Peet (whom you can track down via GBC) may be able to help. Brian - like me - is probably a little too young to remember the Kitty Kat in the interdominions - but will probably know the history. As a former Tornado sailor, Brian might be a good source. (I've only met Brian once, and that was many years ago - so I hope I'm not speaking out of turn). Jim Young of course will be able to help. All NZers know whom I mean - but for visitors - this is Auckland's legendary designer/builder - not the Jim Young so closely associated with the Tornado class in North America.
If you are in Auckland - the other source well worth checking out for the history is the library of the Auckland Museum. I'm not sure how you arrange access these days, but I once spent an entertaining day there - they had every Sea Spray magazine published since 1949.
Unfortunately my personal memories only stretch back to the final years of Kitty Kats as a class - there are some members here with more grey hair than me who should be able to add to this.
**** of the Harbour
beating an impressive fleet of yachts which included Flying Dutchmans, unrestricted 18 Footers, two 16ft Cats and the C Class keeler
Scimitar
. A truly outstanding performance.
Geoff Smale, sailing the Flying Dutchman
Hau-o-tere" was 2nd.
Kitty attracted a lot of attention as she was a revolutionary craft in those days and had great press coverage of which I have kept in scrap books.
The Kitty Class was a strong class in the early 60's but faded as Paper Tiger's and Fibreglass beach cats came on stream.
Jim Young was a very talented designer far ahead of his time and John Peet made a superb job of building and sailing a great boat.
There's this advert on a NZ website:
http:/
If I was closer and had a couple of spare bottles of scotch! <img src=
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