The G-Cat 5.0 is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of fiberglass. It has a fractionalsloop rig with a fully battenedmainsail, 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]
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]