Now, in the 21st century, people seem to be in even more of a hurry than they were before. And speed is one of the new marvels that make the world ever-more glorious.
Journey times and distances are shrinking, as everything moves at lightning speed. The 100 metres can now be run in less than ten seconds. During a recent Davis Cup match, a tennis ace served a ball over the net at a speed of almost 250 km/h. The high-speed TGV train between Paris and Strasbourg flashes by at 574.80 km/h. An intrepid South African racing driver drove his Bar Honda at 413.20 km/h on the runway of Mojave airport in California. The water speed record is now held by a hydrofoil, which reached a top speed of 61 knots. Sailing boats have now broken through the 100km/h barrier.
All of these incredible exploits, of course, are completely out of reach for the average car driver. When it comes to breaking down barriers, the high seas are the last open space where we can go as fast as we like without breaking the law or risking other people's lives.
And not only that. The sea also offers the sheer, unadulterated pleasure of moving at high speed. That thrilling sensation when suddenly, life moves up a gear. This idea has been hard-wired into Catana’s DNA from the very beginning. Would you like to know more? Then step aboard. Take the Catana 47, for example. A gentle breeze, a light wind from behind on the starboard side that barely reaches fourteen knots. Nonetheless, the log attached to the entrance of the salon shows that the boat is already sailing at almost nine knots. In less than two minutes! No risk of the boat yawing, but instead the pleasant, rhythmic sensation of pure acceleration with each gust of wind as the sails billow out. Just one minute more and the speed is up to over 12 knots. The boat skims past a magnificent three-master that was just a dot on the horizon a moment ago. Despite all the efforts of its crew, it now appears transfixed, immobile, its sails fluttering in the wind.
The Catana reaches incredible speeds at the slightest breath of wind. Pointing ahead, before the wind, reaching up to 29 knots. An incredible feat for a recreational boat: you literally feel as though you are flying. With 45 to 50 knots of wind, two reefs in the mainsail and a few turns of the genoa to reduce the sail area, you surf along, at one with the boat, feeling the vibrations rising from the soles of your feet through your lower legs. Pure intoxication.
Downwind or close-hauled, or even with a headwind, these boats can sustain an incredible speed: Catanas are what heroes are made of. These are thoroughbreds, and some of the fastest recreational catamarans in the world. Whether they simply adore the sea, are tempted by an adventurous ocean voyage or a trip around the world, or are looking for new thrills, Catana owners can fulfil their dreams with the reassurance of maximum safety.
"The ultimate experience of speed” expresses the Catana shipyard’s determination to achieve something more than mere speed itself. It is not very difficult to build a fast boat. All you need to do is design a functionally efficient boat with a minimal level of comfort. Racing vessels built this way are famously uncomfortable. Designing a safe, high-performance ocean-going vessel while providing maximum comfort for its owner, however, is a much more complex task.
Few boatbuilders can provide long-distance sailors with such vessels, with generators, desalination equipment, a washing machine, microwave, solar panels and other equipment, all without reducing seaworthiness or performance. Performance, safety and top-of-the-range comfort together form the trilogy that epitomises the Catana brand: all the Catana values that underpin our unique catamarans.
