Welcome to Catapult: sailing, racing and cruising Catapult, the unique single-handed catamaran
| The Boat | 2019 Sailing Programme |
Results and Reports |
Sailing
Catapult
Rigging Tuning and Repairs
Used Boats, and Parts
Cruising
Class
Association
Tactics and
Rules
# see or try a Catapult # get advice on buying, sailing, rigging or racing Catapult
# ask about used boats or spares (and click Gear and Used Boats) # ask about Association membership
Contact: Stuart Ede (Secretary) at catapultcats@mail.com or Alastair Forrest (Chair) at alastairforrest@hotmail.com
(They can also pass any sort of query about the boat to John Peperell, Technical Officer)
( GET IN TOUCH TO OFFER BOATS FOR SALE OR SPARE PARTS)
2019 RACING PROGRAMME: LATEST EVENT
On Sept 28th-29th, Catapult was back to favourite setting at Carsington Sailing Club
in the Derbyshire Dales, for the Northern Championships, combined with a TT event, joining the Laser 3000 Nationals. The forecast of fronts crossing the country was amply confirmed, and strong gusting WSWesterlies on Saturday, with bursts of rain and whitecaps down the lake, reduced the 6-man fleet to four.Gareth Ede found that his very reduced sail (looking like a small junk rig, picture below) gave a stable platform to trapeze, gaining upwind and then watching the full rigs catch up downwind around the trapezoid course. Sunday was less demanding, and close racing saw John Terry hold on to the Northern Trophy two points ahead of George Evans (who was a clear Handicap winner.) (Report)
(Below: Northerns winner John Terry (533) makes a characteristic fast start on Saturday, with Gareth Ede behind, on trapeze with his cut-down sail. Photo by CSC Rescue Rib, with much thanks.)
FINAL EVENT We will be rounding the season off again at the Grafham Cat Open
always an event with a good atmosphere with a big cat fleet, but a separate trapezoid course for the Medium Handicap class, suiting Catapult (and the Catapult entries should qualify for a Fleet prize.)Going into the final event for the Jon Montgomery Travelling Trophy Gareth Ede has quite a cushion between him and the other podium contenders on the TT Leaderboard Behind him,
Before
RECENT EVENT We made a welcome return Sept 14th-15th to Bewl Reservoir in its beautiful surrounding, with racing now operated by Bewl Sailing Association. The four-boat fleet included the elegant red and black boat of new member Dave Chamberlain, The high pressure lying over the UK gave warm sunny conditions but a minimal amount of wind, so that three of five races were completed, including taking part in the club Bart's Bash mass event on Sunday morning
Alastair Forrest was a comfortable winner, with a first and second on Saturday, and then in a match race against Paul Ellis (the only Catapults able to complete the weekend) eking out a second win, while Dave scored a Saturday handicap second (and a win on lap elapsed time in Race 2) (Report)
On July 27th-28th, as a new sea venue, Cataput joined the Felixstowe Ferry SC Cat Open July 27th-28th, with good open-water racing in the mixed-Handicap fleet. Mike Gough found the Force 3-4 breezes to his liking, with a clean sweep of firsts in the scratch results. (Report)
Two weeks later Catapult was back to Stone SC for three days of Stone Week, August 5th-7th. Brisk south-westerlies gave good racing, testing four boats; between them, the helms had forced withdrawals, unforced blunders, gear failure and a capsize. Mike Gough used the fresh breeze to drive fast upwind, eventually counting 5 wins from 6 races, including the final race, when the club fleets (and a Catapult) were wiped out by a 40mph front going through. (Report)
SPARES AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS John Terry has updated the Assocaition spares stocklist, seen here (it was established hrough the generosity of past Catapult sailor Admiral Sir Robert Hill and previous Secretary John Peperell, to keep the fleet afloat in cases of breakage or damage. Guidelines on spares availablity are here
CATAPULT NATIONALS 2019 Bala Sailing Club again hospitably hosted Catapult for the Bala Gala, 12th-14th July, combining the series of fun races (on Friday) with the 2019 Nationals (held over from the blown-off Bridlington contest.)
The looming high-pressure over the UK gave light ENE breezes through the weekend, able to provide good racing (but dying to nothing for a half-hour in the final race!)
The Nationals were fought to the last race; from a fleet of nine, six different helms had a first or second place, and the three leaders had two firsts each. Gareth Ede avoided any bad result, to take the 2019 title by three points from John Terry. (Report)
On Handicap, Chris Upton was a clear winner, showing that the older TI rig can be made to go.
The Bala Fun Races went off smoothly and (for fun races) intensely, completing the Pairs Race (with pairs balanced by personal handicap, the higher handicap required to finish first) the Pursuit Race (with three staggered starts, from personal handicaps) and the Relay (with on-water transfer of "batons" i.e. footballs) (Report)
(Below: drone's-eye view of Bala SC rigging and launching areas)
CATAPULT VIDEOS
here and here
-- fast easy handling in a fresh Bala breeze
Videos here and here and here
(and on board racing at Bewl and cruising the Solent here)
EARLIER EVENT The
2019 racing programme
returned
to
Yorkshire
Dales SC
up on the Grimwith Reservoir in the Dales, for a TT
weekend,
8th-9th June
The tail end of Storm Miguel made for survival conditions in the first
race but fortunately the wind abated bit by bit over the rest of the
weekend, and the sailing was conducted in a stiff Force 4 for some
exciting but manageable racing.
(Report)
The windy conditions clearly suited Mike Gough who was the clear winner
on handicap with 4 firsts and 2 seconds. This boosted him from 4th to
the top of the
Handicap Series leader
board, displacing Chris Phillips, who has twice topped
the table this season, but who was away sailing in Scotland so had to
counting several DNCs. Syd Gage has had an equally meteoric rise up the
Leader Board from 6th to 2nd thanks to his 2nd place at Yorkshire Dales
with a couple of firsts and a second in his scoreline.
(Below: Fast sailing-Mike Gough chases Stuart Ede across a
cold and windy Grimwith Reservoir.)
EARLIER
EVENTS
Before that Catapult had its real sea
sailing at
Bridlington
for the Nationals
on 25th-27th May, but fate intervened. Saturday's light breezes were
character-building and allowed two races, with Gareth Ede coming through
for two wins (and a good second place for Syd Gage.) The hoped-for
breeze arrived next day, but was gusting 6-7, with no boats making it to the
water. The strong wind continued on Bank Holiday Monday to blow
racing away again. (Results and
Report)
With only two races completed, the
Nationals were held over to Bala, on
12th- 14th July (above.)
SECOND 2019 TT
Catapult
returned again to Bassenthwaite
as a favourite venue, for the early May Bank Holiday. The looming
peak of Skiddaw had a light snow dusting, confirming the cold
northerlies expected, but the forecast light winds swung NE and
strengthened each day, to give excellent racing. The club was again very
welcoming, and the ROs set the traditional Bass complex courses, with
X's or Ws, with up to six legs, and more than one beat.
The clear leaders were again Gareth Ede and John Terry, although pushed
at times (and with Stuart Ede scoring one runaway win.) Stuart was a
clear Handicap winner, but Damien Cooney scored two handicap firsts in
the four races he competed in.
(Results and Report)
FIRST 2019 EVENT, RUTLAND: 13th-14th APRIL
The
Catapult fleet launched the 2019 season by heading
again to Rutland Water
April 13th-14th, racing in the Cat Open on Satuday (with the
Shearwater fleet) and joining the club fleet for their "Big Pond" series
at the wide dam end
of the Rutland Water.
Brisk easterlies gave bracing sailing, with
sunshine to ease the chill on Sunday.
Although Chris Phillips began the season with impressive new speed, Gareth
Ede and John
Terry re-established their battle at the front of the fleet, flying upwind on
the trapeze, for a comfortable split from the rest. On Handicap, Chris
easily dominated, counting 5 straight wins
(Results and Report)
DIY
CATAPULT HULLS! Germany-based
Catapult owner Volker Lehleitner, faced with the challenges of getting
new hulls, went ahead and made his own. He was able to get a job lot of
Hypalon, and built the hulls to a high standard, as thephotos
here
show.
DVDs FROM CATAPULT EVENTS; LIST AVAILABLE
Syd Gage has worked on the output from his and George's on-board cameras (photo further below)
to produce great videos of Catapult action, including a season roundup.
The list and details
are
here
HYPALON TUBE REPAIRS
Puncture? Leaky tubes? Seams coming unstuck?
End caps need replacing?
Paul Stubbins offers a high quality professional repair service. Paul,
now working as a sole trader (with therefore no VAT to pay!), has many
years experience working for RIB manufacturers.Paul offers a nationwide
service from his base in Hull.
Have a word with Class Secretary, Stuart Ede, to see if he can arrange for
pick up and delivery through the membership network to save on transport
costs.
Contact Paul at paulstubbins23@gmail.com or on
07429 754392.
NEW REPAIR ADVICE
Syd Gage has added to his stream of
practical advice and detailed instructions with a new article on DIY
Puncture-free PU-foam-filled Tyres The
article
here shows what to buy, and Syd’s excellent photos and instructions
(and personal setbacks) show how to change the steel roller bearings to
nylon ones (more suitable for water
immersion).
(Below: Syd Gage's camera mounting, picking up the opposition ahead as
he concentrates on catching them.)
CATAPULT CRUISING Justin (below) uses Catapult's shroud adjustment to dip the mast and negotiate the New Cut bridge between the Waveney and Yare rivers on the Norfolk Broads: more ) Get in touch with Alastair (at alastairforrest@hotmail.com ) with cruising plans or reports to add to the Cruising write-ups (and see his recent tidal Thames cruise.)
Jon Montgomery: Designer of Catapult: 22nd February 1935 - 9th June 2009.
A tribute to Jon
here.
Racing in the Travelling
Tropy circuit
is keen but very friendly.
The season offers around
ten events, each at a different attractive venue
An "honour" approach to
mistakes avoids the need
for
protests, and the
website
has a
Tactics and Rules Forum
Other sailors will offer advice
on rigging, tuning and
sailing,
informally, or through contact
arranged before an event.
Committee members are in contact before each event
to tie up the arrangements
