On the mezzanine level of the main hall,
Catana have an expansive wood working
area. Directly below and in an adjoining
annex are more machines for wood cutting;
preparing and finishing the Catana interiors
and the place is buzzing with skilled
craftsman. Everything is done in house
including the launching and commissioning.
Marketing director, Serge Paillard believes
that this is ‘the only way to control quality
and delivery time,’ as each boat is custom.
After working with a prospective owner on
their boat’s interior design, the last stage
before construction is their approval of the
CD ~ a virtual reality tour of their boat in 3D.
Catana 50 in build – note composite
bulkheads everywhere
Catana 50 deck in build
The Phisa 42
At Catana, the specification has evolved and a-float. As yet, the verdict is undecided. In
the Christophe Barreau/Frédéric Neuman light to medium breeze, the boat was not
design team have added Twaron (Kevlar) to considered to have made a significant gain
the make-up, to compensate for the weight in performance. She surfed more readily in
of high-tech systems which have gradually heavier air and now the object of the team is
crept onboard. In this respect, the Catana to find the right balance.
brand philosophy too has changed and in
doing so tapped successfully into a new Designs change roughly every 3 years, so
Catana 50 note the detailed
market, that of a different type of client, the economics of investing in the tooling for
interior engineering
one who has had large power boats and injection molding which is 2.5 times more
is used to another level of luxury. Aware expensive to fabricate than the infusion
that the finesse de coque (boat speed) and molds currently in use, may be unfounded.
thus performance directly corresponds to Catana are looking to find out and so are
the weight carried onboard, Catana have using the present period of lower production
increased the wetted area in their larger to consider this development, with a hopeful
designs and are experimenting with a 3 year view to injection molding Catana 41s.
old ex-demo boat 50. While this 50 was The benefit principally governs weight,
the first in the new range of Catana 50s, it since the structure is bonded as one with
still weighs in at 16.5 tonnes. Down on the no glueing together of the various parts or
shop floor, 2 tonnes of interior furniture and additional filler required since the gel coat
‘extras’ are currently being removed, to test is pre-laid into the rigid molds. As a result,
for any change in ‘sea keeping’ and motion the mechanical characteristics are more
Catana manufacture much of their
controllable.
woodwork in house
22  MULTIHULL REVIEW : MAY 2009
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