G-Cat 5.0

G-Cat 5.0

Development
Designer	Hans Geissler
Location	United States
Year	1975
Builder(s)	G-Cat Multihulls
Role	One-design racer
Name	G-Cat 5.0
Boat
Crew	two
Displacement	340 lb (154 kg)
Draft	1.08 ft (0.33 m)
Hull
Type	Catamaran
Construction	Fiberglass
LOA	16.67 ft (5.08 m)
LWL	15.50 ft (4.72 m)
Beam	8.00 ft (2.44 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	none
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
Sails
Sailplan	Fractional rigged sloop
Mainsail area	150 sq ft (14 m2)
Jib/genoa area	60 sq ft (5.6 m2)
Total sail area	210 sq ft (20 m2)
Racing
D-PN	76.0
G-Cat 5.7  →

The G-Cat 5.0 is an American catamaran sailing dinghy that was designed by Hans Geissler as a one-design racer and first built in 1975. ^{[1] [2]}

The G-Cat 5.0 design was developed into the slightly longer G-Cat 5.7 in 1980. ^{[1] [3]}

Production

The design was built by G-Cat Multihulls in Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States, but it is now out of production. The company produced over 2,000 examples of the 5.0 and the 5.7 combined. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

Design

The G-Cat 5.0 is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of fiberglass. It has a fractional sloop rig with a fully battened mainsail, a rotating mast and all-aluminum spars. The symmetrical hulls have raked stems, vertical transoms and transom-hung, kick-up rudders controlled by a tiller. The boat has a trampoline for the crew, with an optional second one forward of the mast that can be used as the base for a tent for overnight accommodation. The design has no centerboards or daggerboards, relying instead on deep V-shaped hulls with a rockered shape to prevent leeway. The boat displaces 340 lb (154 kg). ^{[1] [2]}

The boat has a draft of 1.08 ft (0.33 m), allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer. ^[1]

For sailing the design is equipped with a outhaul, downhaul and a mainsheet traveler that is mounted on the aft crossbeam. ^[2]

The design has a Portsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 76.0 and is normally raced with a crew of two sailors. ^[2]

Operational history

In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote that the "G-Cat is an unusual catamaran with symmetrical hulls and without daggerboards. Also unusual is the trampoline forward of the mast, upon which an optional tent may be pitched for cruising, (To avoid pitch-poling, remove the forward trampoline in heavy weather.) The hulls are a deep vee section to resist leeway. The boat has substantial rocker that puts lateral resistance well below the center of effort, making the boat pivot easily about the middle." ^[2]

See also

• List of sailing boat types
• List of multihulls

Related development

• G-Cat 5.7

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "G-Cat 5.0 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
2. Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 78-79. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN   0-395-65239-1
3. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "G-Cat 5.7 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
4. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "G-Cat Multihulls". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.