Prindle 18

Prindle 18

Development
Designer	Geoffrey Prindle
Location	United States
Year	1977
No. built	2,300
Builder(s)	Surfglas Prindle Catamarans Lear Siegler Inc.
Role	Racer
Name	Prindle 18
Boat
Crew	two
Displacement	335 lb (152 kg)
Draft	7 in (18 cm)
Hull
Type	Catamaran
Construction	Fiberglass
LOA	18.00 ft (5.49 m)
LWL	17.00 ft (5.18 m)
Beam	7.92 ft (2.41 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	none
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudders
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
Sails
Sailplan	Fractional rigged sloop
Mainsail area	170 sq ft (16 m2)
Jib/genoa area	48 sq ft (4.5 m2)
Total sail area	218 sq ft (20.3 m2)
Racing
D-PN	74.5
Prindle 18-2  →

The Prindle 18 is an American catamaran sailing dinghy that was designed by Geoffrey Prindle as a racer and first built in 1977. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Geoffrey Prindle had started out as a surfboard manufacturer but was also successful racing Hobie 14 catamarans and started his own line of boats, starting with the Prindle 16. ^[2]

Production

The design was initially built by Surfglas, a surfboard manufacturer that changed its name to Prindle Catamarans. The boat was also built by Lear Siegler Inc. in the United States. A total of 2,300 boats were built, but it is now out of production. ^{[1] [3] [4] [5]}

The design was replaced in the manufacturer's line by the Prindle 18-2 in 1983, a more conventional design, with straight hulls and centerboards. ^{[1] [6]}

Design

The Prindle 18 is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of fiberglass. It has a fractional sloop rig with aluminum spars, a rotating mast and a fully-battened mainsail, using foam and fiberglass sail battens. The mast spreaders are adjustable for rake. The dual asymmetrical hulls have raked stems, slightly reverse transoms and dual transom-hung, kick-up beaching rudders controlled by a tiller. The hulls are both rockered and have no keels or daggerboards. The design displaces 335 lb (152 kg) and features a mesh trampoline between the hulls. ^{[1] [3]}

This beachcat design has a draft of 7 in (18 cm) allowing beaching. The hinged mast also facilitates ground transportation on a trailer. ^[1]

For sailing the design may be equipped with one or two trapezes. It has a 4:1 mechanical advantage downhaul, an outhaul and mast rotation controls. The jib luff is attached with a zipper. ^[3]

The design has a Portsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 74.5 and is normally raced with a crew of two sailors. ^[3]

See also

• List of sailing boat types
• List of multihulls

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Prindle 18 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
2. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Geoffrey Prindle". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
3. Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 94-95. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN   0-395-65239-1
4. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Prindle Catamarans". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
5. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Lear Siegler Inc. 1961 - 2002". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
6. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Prindle 18-2 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.

External links

• Media related to Prindle 18 at Wikimedia Commons