Double cool for cats

The big cruising cat McMoggy racing in the Coastal Classic. Picture / Terry Fong

It all began as an open day to introduce boats with more than one hull to those not convinced that any more than one would ever be necessary. That annual event has grown into the 2006 Multihull Boat Show, set to take over a fair slice of the Viaduct Basin tomorrow.

One of the main men behind the event is David Smith, a stalwart of the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club which has put together the show. It takes in Piers 14, 15, 16, 17, 20 and 21 at the Viaduct and runs from 9am to 4pm. And surprise, surprise, it's free.

Smith says more than $10 million worth of state of the art multihulls will be on show, ranging from big cruising cats to small sleek racers using two hulls or three. The unique trailerable folding trimaran from the board of US-based Kiwi Ian Farrier will also be there.

Farrier is now in Christchurch completing the newest boat in his production line-up, the F-22, which is intended to be a low cost, entry-level trimaran that will offer outstanding performance with comfortable cruising.

Key components of the F-22 will be built here by Farrier Marine (NZ) Ltd to take advantage of the considerable cost-saving possible with local manufacture. The US-based arm of his company will do the international marketing for what he believes will be the most popular of his designs.

The show will also feature the evolution of the Great Barrier Express. This catamaran was designed in 1973 for Richard Pilkington who wanted something fast, uncomplicated and low cost to get him to his property on Great Barrier. It was an instant success. More than 300 have been built around the world and the GBE is still in production in Australia.

To improve performance Bill Barry modified a wooden GBE called Jubilee. He did this by chainsawing the bow and reconfiguring the stern to create a speedster he christened Voom, the first official 8.5 cat.

Interest in the class has grown quickly, Barry says, and there are now seven fully measured 8.5s with another eight still to be measured. The GBE is highly competitive and is the benchmark for new designs. Excalibur still holds a New Zealand speed record at more than 24 knots and at around $30,000 to $40,000 they are excellent value.

"The new 8.5 designs from the boards of Tim Clissold, Johnny Tetzlaff and George Van Boven are now coming on to the racing scene and will rival the long reign of Malcolm Tennant with the GBE," Smith says.

For those keen on speed, room and stability the show will have some big power cats on display. Smith again: "Gone are the ugly boxes of yesteryear. The new generation power cats are sleek, sexy and seaworthy. One of the sexiest and quickest will be the 18m [60ft] Jimmy from the Bay of Islands. It sports a yellow paint job and a purple Aero rig so it will be hard to miss."

As well as checking out everything afloat, showgoers can talk to designers, boatbuilders and marine suppliers. The experts from Nordic Marketing and Innovation Laminations will be there to discuss the latest moulding techniques, and designers represented will include Tennant, Roger Hill, Craig Loomes, Derek Kelsall, Clissold, John Tetzlaff, George Van Boven, Schionning Design, Noel Thompson Seawind Cats and Roger Kitchen.

Among the boats bound to attract attention is the yellow cat X-Factor, built in carbon composite by New Zealand Multihulls. It's a rare chance to get close to one of the fastest yachts in the country. At the other end of the scale is the 4.4m Weta trimaran, created for the recreational market by Roger and Chris Kitchen. The boat has a boomless rig that can be assembled and ready for the water in 12 minutes.

Smith is confident the show will attract interest from across the marine spectrum, showing powerboaters an alternative and giving those who want to sail fast an idea of what's available.