ONBOARD Classnotes
Shearwater I
BY VANESSA BIRD
t was the brothers Francis and Roland Prout who designed the Shearwater catamaran, and in doing so launched the world’s first production multihull, creating a whole new market within the sailing industry. Prior to their invention, which was launched in 1956, sailing catamarans were more commonly found in the islands around the Pacific, where they were used for fishing and transport. It was following some experimentation with two canoes that the 16ft 6in (5m) Shearwater was developed. The brothers, part of the family firm G Prout & Sons, had been producing folding dinghies and canoes since 1935, and in the late 1940s experimented by lashing two canoes together with bamboo poles. Rigged with a simple lugsail and a jib from an International 14, the new boat proved surprisingly fast and caused such a stir that the brothers decided to build a racing version. Shearwater I proved an immediate success. Crewed by the brothers, she won outright the 1954 dinghy regatta at Burnham Week and generated immense interest.
After some development, the brothers produced the slightly smaller Shearwater III, designed to be trailed behind a car. In 1956 they entered the first Cross-Channel Dinghy Race from Folkestone to Boulogne, and stormed to victory, beating many top sailors of the day, including Uffa Fox, by over an hour. Publicity from the event secured its success, and by 1957 over 250 Shearwaters were on the water, built of ply by Prout at their yard at Canvey Island, Essex. The brothers continued to race the catamarans and proved to be formidable competition, with at least one of them achieving podium positions at most events. It was the Shearwater’s advanced design that proved the key to its success. With semi-circular underwater-sectioned hulls and slim lines it was able to slice through the
FRIENDLY CATS The Shearwater Class Association has a good reputation for being a very friendly group, with a fantastic class spirit. At the Nationals, when one competitor’s boat broke up during a race, fellow competitors helped him rebuild it overnight. There’s also an emphasis on family fun.
MUSEUM CAT Yellow Bird, the prototype Shearwater III, built in 1956, is now in the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
ROUND-THE-WORLD CAT G Prout & Sons was not only known for designing the Shearwater. The company produced a number of very successful catamaran designs, including Rehu Moana in 1964, the first catamaran to sail around the world.
water quickly and efficiently, easily achieving speeds in excess of 20 knots, while still remaining manageable for most people to sail. It was the test-bed for many new ideas, too, being the first catamaran to sport rotating masts, high-aspect rigs, spinnakers, single and twin trapezes and trampolines.
Indeed, it is thanks to the Shearwater’s initial design concepts that many of today’s catamarans – the Dart, Tiger Cat, Hurricane, Storm and more – were developed. The fact that it has always been a restricted class is also credited for its success and survival in a competitive market. Unlike many similar cats which are one-designs, the Shearwater allows a reasonable amount of tweaking and innovation within the class rules, so that although the original hull shape has remained pretty much the same, new ideas could be employed. In 1987 a new GRP plug was produced, with slimmed hulls but the same overall beam. However, old boats remain competitive, while wooden boats are still being built, and proving successful.
Although interest has dwindled slightly since the 1980s, the Shearwater remains towards the front of its class.
Shearwater – still going strong
TWO THOUSAND CATS Sail numbers now stand at 2009 boats built since 1956.
CITY FREEMAN Francis Prout was made Freeman of the City of London in 1979.
HULL MOULDS The Shearwater’s hull moulds are now owned by the class association, having been donated to it by the Prout family.
Shearwater Class Association
www.shearwater-asc.org.uk
SHEARWATER LOA
16ft 6in (5.1m) BEAM
7ft 6in (2.3m)
DRAUGHT 7in/2ft 7in (18cm/79cm)
SAIL AREA 163sqft (15.1m2
DISPLACEMENT 163lb (83kg)
DESIGNERS Francis and Roland Prout CLASSIC BOAT APRIL 2012 69 )
SHEARWATER CLASS ASSOCIATION
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