Sol Cat 18

The Sol Cat 18 is a double handed multihull catamaran produced by Sol Catamarans, Inc. from 1973 to 1979.

Background
The original designed Sol Cats were designed by Gene Vernon and with a symmetrical hull, intended to be a similar yet faster version of the highly successful hobie cats, matching their dimensions very closely. In 1979 Sol Cat was absorbed by the North American Catamaran Racing Association and the Sol Cat designs were used as baselines for the similar NACRA design catamarans.

Description
The Sol Cat 18 is the most common of the Sol cat family of boats, with the 15 and 20 foot models having very similar design. Rigging and support structure is aluminum with hulls constructed symmetrically of molded fiberglass with vacuum foam sandwich throughout. The primary difference between the Hobie 18 and the Sol Cat is the straight hull design with daggerboards, giving the Sol Cat faster speeds given better sea conditions. A number of minor differences exist between the two boats to include the centerline support beam running between the two aluminum hull supports, and the rudder spar extending forward of the mainsheet.

The age of the Sol Cats has led to a large number of extensively modified versions of the original boat by owners. Trapeze integration is very common, all the way to owners extending the centerline support beam forward into a gennaker boom. Sol Cats: Designed by Gene Vernon had 3 models 18. 15. and 20 I designed the first Sol Cat (18) because he wanted a Cat without the raised platform like the only Hobie cats in 1972. At this time John Conser of Windward Sails came down to the boat house on Balboa Island to measure it for a sail. When he saw it he said he would build the sail at cost if he could sail it in the world Multihull Races at Cabrillo Yacht Club. They won the fastest, in the world trophy, and the most efficient catamaran at that time! Gene dropped out of Graduate School at CSLB and went into the boat business. his investors and Partners were the Battistones (Sambos Restaurants fame) and overnight they were off and running later producing over 5000 boats. About 5 years later Hobie made a similar boat to the Sol Cat line.