Family cruiserr

But if you look carefully, you'll see that the overall styling contribution of this cabintrunk has been increased by keeping its side well-defined. Longitudinal lines like this edge will stretch out a boat's look. It's the same trick we do with carefully placed boat and cove stripes. It's Euro-Cal.

The D/L is 157 for the fin- keel version. The shoal-draft wing keel weighs 750 pounds more than the straight fin. Catalina must have been designing to a stability standard they wanted consistent for both models. While we are on this subject, let me warn you against bogus stability numbers.

Again, in the European style, the stern has been kept very broad. This feature is obviously driven by the quest for more useable accommodation volume, but today we are at an advantage. We have watched the sterns on the best racing boats grow in beam. The cruising boat designer can study these wide sterns and decide just how to incorporate that advantage into both speed and comfort potential.

We did the same thing with the old 12-Meter-inspired bustle feature. A deep bustle allowed the cabin sole to extend well aft and also allowed the engine to nestle farther back in the boat. While we later found out that bustles didn't help, we learned how to make them not hurt while using their benefits.

There are two interiors. The difference is in the layout of the boat's pointy end. You can choose between the Pullman-style double with head forward (made popular by my favorite designer), or a centerline double forward with head aft. I like the latter, but you do give up the separate shower stall. No worries-just shower aft. The galley is wonderful with a refrigerator that opens both from the top and from the front. The owner's stateroom, with direct access to the head, is palatial by any standard. This is a big boat.

When I walk through the Catalinas I get the feeling that the designers are using some of the same dimensional parameters as I use. I can relate to these layouts.

Congratulations, Catalina.