The S 9 is a 14’ singlehanded foiling catamaran designed and developed by Michele Petrucci, son of Lallo Petrucci, the founder of the Italian boatyard BIMARE Catamarans
For info, pictures, videos have a look at the page of “Catamaran Stunt” on Facebook.
For impartial opinions on the boats you can refer to Brian Lambert and Will Rottgering, who had the opportunity to sail it at the 2015 Foiling Week in Malcesine, Garda Lake, Italy or to any of the US Acatters, (Bruce Mahoney, Lars Guck, Bob Hodges, Bob Webbon, Bailey White, Woody Cope, Tracey Oliver, Kevin Grice, Ben Hall and Joseph Bello), who attended the 2015 A cat Worlds in Punta Ala (a S 9 has been sailing the race waters for the whole duration of the event).
These latter can tell you that the S 9 is able to sail (or better to fly) even without helmsman:
one day the skipper fell overboard, but this did not prevent the boat to keep its stable flight for a couple of miles.
The S 9 is due to “land” in Texas next December, but there is still room available in the container for more boats.
This to say that you have the opportunity, if you order before November 15, to buy this outstanding flying “object” for USD 17,500.
The quotation includes a complete, ready to sail S 9 with beach dolley (big wheels) and all covers and the freight and insurance charges from Italy to Houston (TX).
For more details please contact Michele through Facebook (“Catamaran Stunt”) or by Email to:
12piedi@gmail.com
If you interested to get a foiling cat the S 9 is yr best option
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Posted: Oct 16, 2015 - 09:08 AM
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Posted: Oct 16, 2015 - 03:19 PM
It's a really cool little boat!! Would LOVE to see a fleet of them here in the US!! -
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Posted: Oct 16, 2015 - 03:30 PM
They say from 40 to 80 Kg (88 to 176 pounds) for crew. What does the boat weigh? Seems like a pretty small boat, at least for Americans.
Larger models on the way?
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
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Posted: Oct 16, 2015 - 11:51 PM
Strange thread Damon. The first post is an advertisement, which isn't unusual in itself except no web site and no links. But the second is a person who registered in 2006 but has never posted until now, and just to endorse this advert but and no questions... Something fishy going on here. Or maybe I've been on the internet too long.
The youtube video I googled looks cool though.
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 07:52 AM
172 lbs. (78 kilos)
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Philip
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 10:25 AM
In the video the boat rarely ever lifts off. It is simply heeled over like a typical catamaran, note when it does 'lift off' the leeward hull goes much higher in the air, stays up very briefly and then falls back to the surface. This is with an extremely light crewman and the point of sail is a broad run. (fastest direction for foiling) Let's see some better video and some REAL foiling with a 200 lb helmsman. Take a look at the pictures, the foiling wand is attached with a very crude one off fixture that looks to be the prototype. Appears to me that they have some work to do before this boat is really ready to market.
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'life is too short to drink cheap beer'
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 11:29 AM
Havliii
if you are really interested to foiling cats, take note that I am ready to arrange for you a testsail of the S 9 in Texas. I am sure that at the end you'll have a positive opinion on the Italian cat.
If you cannot make it, I suggest you to get in contact with any of the US catsailors I mentioned in the prevoius post before posting inaccurate comments:
they can tell you how the S 9 sails in the whole range of wind/wave conditions and dispel your impression that the S 9 is not a well sorted out boat -
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 12:53 PM
I for one am pleased to see this announcement of an S9 coming to the U.S. where we are offered an opportunity to test sail one. Too few of these manufacturer's of foilers are properly marketing their products. I received an immediate response from Michele P. answering all my questions with leads to videos showing full foiling. I'm suggest havlii do more homework before negative commenting. -
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 05:45 PM
I don't think Havlii's comments were negative. He was giving his impression of the video he found and asking for more into since there wasn't much offered not even a proper contact name for the email.
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 07:06 PM
If you are interested in foiling or results from major events in Europe or elsewhere, you must read daily www.catsailingnews .com along with the two forums we have in this country. Because cat sailing is much more popular in Europe, that's where the major manufacturers are & where the development is located. There have been several videos of the S9 in the past on that forum. On the other hand, the European marketers have not taken advantage of the two U.S. forums. Where was the announcement that the new Nacra 15 and the Whisper cat were going to be at the Annapolis show? -
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 08:17 PM
Okay, I'll bite. December in Texas? as in less than 60 days from now? If my comments were inaccurate please explain how so. The boat is not full foiling in the video that I saw , it rises and falls off the foils numerous times. More and clearer video would be helpful. What is the design weight of the crew? All cats have an optimum design weight, what is your target weight? (Would be nice to know before purchasing.)
and lastly quoting my long deceased 'nonna' if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. If you post an 'advertorial' on a public forum expect some heat.
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'life is too short to drink cheap beer'
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 09:01 PM
Try youtube: foiling catamaran stunt 9,May, 2015 and stunt 9, the real full foiling beach cat Pete -
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 09:04 PM
20htcat, I explored the videos on youtube, very sweet when sailing in glass like conditions. 96% of my sailing is done in 2-3 foot chop. How does the wand system handle that? Any videos in the nasty stuff? chop exceeding 6 inches?
Thanks for the response and the invite to demo your boat.
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'life is too short to drink cheap beer'
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Posted: Oct 17, 2015 - 09:09 PM
there's a few more clips and pics on the S9 FB page. Maybe worth checking that too...
https://www.facebook.com/catamaran.stunt
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Marek
1992 Prindle 19
1981 Prindle 16
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Posted: Oct 18, 2015 - 09:09 AM
Okay, here's the deal and why my earlier comments. There are TWO facebook pages regarding the S9 catamaran. I landed on the older one that has not been updated in over a year. The video and pictures that I commented on are still out there and they convey exactly my sentiments.
Since no link was included in the original post, the original poster leaves open the possibility of a search engine directing a person to a stale website. (not my fault or problem, pulling down that page would be prudent)
The newer page (link posted by marekli) has the better pictures and more info on the boat.
Edited by havliii on Oct 18, 2015 - 11:00 AM.
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'life is too short to drink cheap beer'
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Posted: Oct 18, 2015 - 09:28 AM
Final correction: The owner of the older page is Catamaran Racing News and Design, not Mr. Petrucci. Not much he can do about the old stuff. It was the top hit on my search.
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'life is too short to drink cheap beer'
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Posted: Oct 22, 2015 - 10:33 AM
Here's a few more clips OP could have posted (just search youtube):
S9 Overview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmRTZik0Vf8
Sailing Upwind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkMacK-SBBQ
3rd test 2014?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzLluz3niUk
2nd test 5.01.2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wre5n32OOhs
Personally, I find it just a tad small...the Formula Whisper is a bit bigger. It's got a design where conventional crossbars disappear and are replaced by carbon ones molded into the hull making the whole frame a lot stiffer and therefore probably also a lot more efficient. Price is quoted soomewhere at $30K so much higher than the price for an S9.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opxXm8Oub0A
Then there's the Flying Phantom, at $40K. Compared to it you could consider the S9 a steal if you just wanted to fly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjxnCVI67O0
One way to get some exposure to foiling cats while the R&D is being sorted out and multiple production cycles and increasing foiling cats being manufactured lead to more competition is to join a clinic like one Helge Sach organized a few weeks ago at Lake Garda. Here's a pretty cool clip of him foiling with a sailor on a Nacra20 FCS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BWg5Azq1To
Edited by marekli on Oct 22, 2015 - 10:42 AM.
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Marek
1992 Prindle 19
1981 Prindle 16
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Posted: Oct 23, 2015 - 01:37 PM
I'd not bet that the platform of the Formula Whisper is stiffer than the S 9 one.
Infact this latter is fitted with very unconventional (the front one has a poligonal shape with 12 sides-the rear beam profile is clearly visible in all videos) and over-dimensioned carbon beams made in pre-peg carbon in BIMARE's autoclave at 120 Celsius degrees and 6 bars of pressure. Besides also the attachments are original and well engineered.
The cat is designed to be de-mountable, but you can ask to have the beams glued to the hulls if you want to get the max stiffness -
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Posted: Oct 28, 2015 - 06:38 PM
Damon knows me personally, I just don't post on cat sailing threads often as, generally speaking, it's a waste of my time and energy. I only posted here b/c I was mentioned in the thread.
I've sailed the S9, seen where the Whispers are built, but not sailed one of them. I've met with Michele, but have no stake in how many S9's are sold here in the US, or anywhere else. I can tell you that the S9 will foil with a 6'2", 195 lb guy on it in ~2' chop quite well. Also, I sailed an older boat and even with the amount of testing that platform has undergone, it was still VERY stiff. I didn't think it was too small at 14' long, even with my size.
What I think confuses some people is that unlike the Phantom, the S9 has control wands to keep it from foiling extremely high; the moth foils as high as it does for a couple of reasons which are totally unrelated to wave height. Due to the dynamics, higher does not always equal better and since cats cannot directly replicate what is happening with a moth, that certainly is the case here.
The other big thing to remember is that the S9 wasn't designed to compete with the Phantom, it's not a 2-up rocket racer. Based on what I've read and been told, the S9 is a "beginners foiler" and I can attest that it's easy to sail and to foil; I was up and flying within a couple of minutes of launching the boat.
I have a couple of concerns about the Whisper, mostly related to the dagger board and trunk configuration. I've not sailed the boat, but suspect that it's going to be quite hard on the foils and keep the boat yards busy cleaning up trailing edges based on what I've seen. -
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Posted: Oct 28, 2015 - 07:38 PM
Sorry, meant to reply above that I knew Will.
Michele (20htcat ) it would help if you would further introduce yourself and spell out your relationship with the S9.
I don't mind you promoting your new catamaran here in the forums, just people get suspicious if not sure who they are dealing with.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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