seawind catamaran 850

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Seawind 850

Seawind 850 is a 27 ′ 7 ″ / 8.4 m catamaran sailboat designed by Scott Jutson and built by Seawind Catamarans between 1990 and 1995.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

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CRUISING CATAMARANS FOR REAL SAILORS

Seawind Catamarans have long been Australia’s most popular cruising catamaran designs. With over 35 years experience in building the highest quality blue water catamarans. As already discovered by our growing family of adventurous and like minded Seawind fans the world over, a Seawind boat could be the ideal sailing catamaran for you and your family!

STATE OF THE ART COMPOSITES

What's in a seawind .

Seawind Catamarans is in continuous development with every new boat model, building on the knowledge and success of previous designs. Every catamaran yacht is the result of hundreds of collective years of multihull experience, and the best construction techniques the world has to offer. Seawind Catamarans uses Resin Infusion Technology to produce a lighter, stronger, and cleaner product. In partnership with High Modulus and DIAB technologies, the complex infusion implementation process was developed using a 3D simulated flow model (pictured here) to ensure that best quality and consistency is achieved with every new Seawind sailboat.

PROVEN RELIABILITY FIRST & FOREMOST

Every Seawind sailing catamaran is built for cruising practicality, but delivered on a platform of fast, performance hulls with a fine bow entry and strong stiff construction. Poise is combined with power in the shape of a relatively powerful sail area, providing a power to weight ratio to set pulses racing.  This additional power delivers the speed to bring significantly more destinations within reach, satisfying a modern market which may need to fit “extended” cruising into only a few weeks or months. But in all of the 600 catamaran boats launched, not one has ever suffered a rig failure or have we ever experienced a capsize.  Seawind catamaran yachts are built on a track record of success.

ERGONOMIC & PRACTICAL

Seawind Catamarans’ sustained success over so many years is built on key features which are part of our DNA. Huge cockpit doors open to combine the saloon and cockpit – a feature unmatched in the market, and which provide expansive and versatile living space.  The new Seawind 1260 enhances this feature further by adding a modular cockpit arrangement. Move chairs and seats to arrange the space as you need it, as circumstances demand.  Seat 8 people inside, and another 8 outside.  Or bring everyone in and make that a dozen inside or easily clear the cockpit for a long passage.  Every Seawind catamaran sailboat provides flexibility and luxury while sacrificing none of the practicality that made previous Seawind Cats models the success they are. Seawind boats also provide unparalleled entertainment space while sacrificing nothing in offshore safety.

PROTECTED SAFE STEERING

Dual helm stations are found on every Seawind Catamarans sailboat, and they offer 360-degree visibility, even on the largest Seawind 1600 model.  This allows the skipper to sail safely in crowded harbor conditions, and to keep an eye on the crew when offshore. Large targa tops offer protection from the harsh offshore conditions, both sun and rain, while panoramic opening windows provide ventilation as well as visibility.  Seawind Catamarans boats offer the protection of a pilothouse yacht, with the visibility and helming advantages of a sailing catamaran.

INDOOR/ OUTDOOR LIVING

The famous Australian indoor / outdoor, open lifestyle is entrenched in Seawind Catamarans designs, with an unbeatable living area complimented by brilliant natural ventilation, protected cockpit lounge, and social helm seats putting the skipper in control as well as in the conversation. Best of all, you can enjoy what many catamaran sailboats compromise on… visibility – for the skipper and crew, with 360 degree views from the helm and saloon seats all within the protection of the fiberglass coachouse and targa top.

Seawind 1370 Hull 1 Test Report by Skipper & Thailand Customer Service Manager, Phil Harper.

Seawind Catamarans to open Production Facility and European Service Center in Izmir, Turkey.

Beachability: Mini-keels or fixed rudders

• Seawind 1370 Hull 1 Test Report
• New Production Facility and European Service Center in Izmir, Turkey.
• Seawind 1600 Reviewed by Pacific Yachting
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Seawind 850

The seawind 850 is a 27.67ft fractional sloop designed by scott jutson and built in fiberglass vinylester resin and pvc foam core by seawind catamarans (aus) between 1990 and 1995., 25 units have been built..

The Seawind 850 is a light sailboat which is a good performer. The fuel capacity is originally very small. There is a very short water supply range.

Seawind 850 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Seawind 1000 Catamaran Review

• Post author By River B
• Post date July 28, 2020
• 5 Comments on Seawind 1000 Catamaran Review

The Seawind 1000, designed by Richard Ward and Scott Judson, was first built in Australia in 1994. The debut model was the first catamaran ever to be awarded “Australian Cruising Sailboat of the Year.” Over 225 Seawind 1000 series boats have been built, and while many might scoff at a sub-35’ catamaran tackling long ocean passages and 80+ knot storms, this light, nimble catamaran just might surprise you.

After initially launching with an inboard Bukh diesel engine, charter companies requested a model with twin outboards for ease of maintenance and maneuverability. This outboard model was a clear success and so became the standard for the 1000 model family.

Since then, the Seawind 1000 was placed in Australian charter companies in the Whitsundays, Pittwater, Sydney Harbour, the Gold Coast, Darwin, Perth and Melbourne. The 1000 series has also been placed into charter in the U.S., Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Brazil, and Europe.

The Seawind 1000 series, which evolved from the Seawind 850, includes the 33’ Seawind 1000, 1050 Resort (launched in 1998), 35.5’ 1000 XL (launched in 2007), and 1000 XL2 (launched in 2012). As the 1000 series progressed, Seawind made the cats longer by extending the transoms for added buoyancy, stability, and speed.

In addition to some solid cruising and chartering chops, it seems she can win races as well. Recently, Larry Robertson single handed his Seawind 1000 catamaran to victory in the 2018 Shaka Challenge.

While popular among charterers, the 1000 model family is the first true “cruising catamaran” for the Seawind brand, and is characterized by 2-meter fixed mini keels, twin 9.9hp Yamaha 4-stroke outboards, an open salon/cockpit area, galley down and three cabins tucked into the hulls.

Some of the most popular features of the Seawind 1000 include:

• Lightweight FRP construction (newer models) – originally crafted as an all foam sandwich using uni-directional and bi-axial glasses, the Seawind 1000 displaces less than 10,500 out of the factory.
• 360-Degree Views – featuring panoramic windows with forward opening hatches, the Seawind 1000 provides nearly unfettered views, ample ventilation, and shelter from the elements.
• Single-Handed Sailing – with most lines running to the helm and the inclusion of a self-tacking jib, the Seawind 1000 is easy to sail single-handed or short-handed.
• Hinged Mast Base – this mast design allows the mast to be lowered forward with minimal effort, making it simple to clear bridges of just about any height.
• Stock Arch – provides space for adequate solar, seating, BBQ, and dinghy davits.
• Open Living Spaces – despite its relatively small size the Seawind 1000 provides an open living area, eliminating the division between salon and cockpit, with headroom accommodating individuals up to 6’4” comfortably.

Notes From the Sea

Theory is good for the classroom, but practical experience is the only way to tell whether that shiny boat in the slip is really what will carry you safely through whatever Poseidon throws at you.

With an LOA of 33-feet and a generous sail plan, the Seawind 1000 offers a nimble, lively ride in even the worst conditions. Designer Richard Ward notes that quite a few Seawind 1000’s were delivered to New Zealand and Hawaii after surviving 70-knot storms. Captain Royce Black once delivered a Seawind 1000 safely through a Cat-5 hurricane, achieving speeds over 25 knots on bare poles.

While not the standard conditions your average cruiser will encounter, it’s heartening to know that the Seawind 1000 can handle itself and its cargo in unsettled weather.

Ok, she can sail, but is she comfortable?

We asked this question of Joe Siudzinski, a veteran sailor and prior owner of Katiecat , a 2000 Seawind 1000. He and his wife Cathy put over 25,000nm under the hulls of Katiecat , including extensive coastal cruising in Australia and New Zealand, with passages to Fiji, New Caledonia, and more. Once of their highest compliments of the 1000 is that her layout is exceptionally comfortable.

With the three main living spaces, salon, cabin, and galley all located along the pitch axis of the boat, the crew remained comfortable and rested while on passage. Additionally, the Siudzinski’s found the 1000’s cockpit to be well protected from the elements, while still providing ample visibility.

“The most attractive feature of the boat that distinguishes it from all other boats is its sheltered main saloon with 360-degree visibility  when seated .”

~Joe and Cathy, SV Katiecat

Due to her short length and wide beam, the Seawind 1000 can experience some uncomfortable jerky motions in confused seas or when beating into strong seas. While bridgedeck clearance isn’t the sole indicator of slamming potential, with her 29” clearance, she experienced surprisingly low incidence of bridgedeck slams.

Of course, to maintain comfort and safety, some key things to remember, especially on smaller cats is not to overload the boat. To avoid hobby horsing, keep bows light. The aft can be a bit heavier, particularly when you’ve got a dinghy hanging out on davits, and that’s ok. Just de sure to store heavy things amidships and again–don’t overload.

“The Seawind’s performance doesn’t appear to be as sensitive to weight as other cats I’ve sailed on and we still have a few inches left below our anti-fouling waterline mark. For the two of us, recognizing its load-carrying limitations, I feel that our modified Seawind 1000 is a wonderful coastal cruiser and acceptable ocean passagemaker.”

After a few years of sailing on their Seawind 1000, the Siudzinski decided to have sugarscoop extensions (now stock on the Seawind 1000XL2 model) fabricated to add an additional couple of feet to the cat’s waterline. They found that the additional length helped dampen pitching motion in rough seas.

Let’s talk about those outboards, though.

After a brief experiment with a four-cylinder Bukh inboard diesel, charter companies asked Richard Ward to design the 1000 with outboards for easier servicing. Thereafter, the 1000’s were powered by 9.9hp four-stroke, Yamaha outboards with a hi thrust 3:1 gear ratio and extralong shafts, which are mounted on lifting brackets to keep the prop clean, safe, and reduce drag.

While this may be a feature for charter catamarans, does the same hold true for cruising catamarans that want to go farther and escape inclement weather faster?

Joe chimed in on this issue as well. No one really likes carrying large amounts of gasoline around due to the obvious fire hazard. The weight issue may be moot due to the savings of not dragging around twin diesels. So what it really comes down to is how far you can go and how fast you can get there. According to Joe, he was able to hit 7.8 knots with both outboards wide open in zero wind. This is far faster than a similarly-sized monohull with a diesel engine could accomplish.

Outboards may be notoriously unreliable, but the Yamaha has a great reputation, you can find parts available worldwide, and of course, you’ve got two. Safety in redundancy, right? Finally, the Yamaha 9.9 is fairly fuel efficient, averaging 1.2 liters per hour at an average speed of 4.5 knots.

One of the really thoughtful additions that Seawind provided on this model family is the retractable ladder stored between the trampolines for easy access to land when beached or for an easy exit from the water when swimming. Few other catamarans can boast this same feature.

The Wishlist

Seawind has a reputation for being responsive to owners’ input regarding issues and features. Some, like the sugarscoop extensions have been implemented, as well as the hardtop bimini. What could cruisers find useful though?

• Lithium Ion Batteries – and enough of them to make the boat self-sufficient in remote areas
• More Solar Capacity – 210 watts is the bare minimum (some might say completely insufficient) for a cruiser
• More Water-tightness – while any boat will become leaky over time, some have noted issues with the polycarbonate windows on the earlier Seawind 1000 models
• Better ventilation in wet conditions – again, an issue you may find with most other boats, however, a few strategically-placed, well-engineered hatches can provide ventilation without soaking the crew.

Not a long list, though some may have other wishes. As always, everything in life is a trade-off.

To Buy or Not to Buy

The Seawind 1000 has proven itself to be a sturdy, nimble vessel, suitable for longer passages. Should you pack up the family and set sail on one of these? Well, maybe if you’ve got a small family. The Seawind 1000 is still a smaller vessel, perhaps more suitable for a couple with the occasional low-maintenance guest. And, if you’re hoping to avoid testing your new vessel to her limits, consider adding an SSB or satellite-based weather reporting to ensure you get accurate weather wherever you are.

References :

Katiecat – http://www.katiekat.net/Welcome.html

Seawind 1000XL2 – There is a reason – https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Seawind-1000XL2-%e2%80%93-There-is-a-reason/-116060?source=google

Seawind 1000 – https://www.boatsales.com.au/editorial/details/seawind-1000-8839/

• Tags Catamaran Reviews

River is a licensed USCG Captain with a lifetime of experience on the water. From the San Francisco Bay to the South Pacific, blue water to clear water, he’s sailed a wide variety of catamarans and crawled around in the bilges of more than he can count. You can follow his misadventures at www.tilted.life.

5 replies on “Seawind 1000 Catamaran Review”

Great review cause i just bought a second hand xl2 in Phuket and will sail it to philippines and live aboard. For sure im on the more solar. And batts. Maybe a rain man an porble honda genset.

There’s plenty of solar you can buy in the Philippines for cheap the Manila yacht club has a fuel dock as does the subic bay yacht club

Owner of a 2009 1000xl Would like to talk with other 1000 owners about their boats, compare notes and get answers as to how they improved their boats.

Hi Dave, Although an older version, I have been sailing full-time aboard my 2001 Seawind 1000…up and down the US, Bahamas and eastern Caribbean for 8 years. Recently I have taken the boat on a two-year voyage through the Panama canal, across the Pacific to French Polynesia and then north to Hawaii. She has received many nice upgrades and I’d be happy to trade notes on any aspect of owning a Seawind 1000. Cheers! Vince

Hey Dave Waiting on a ratified contract on an ‘09 Seawind 1000 XL as I type. Located in eastern North Carolina and going to be in the Chesapeake in the summer months. Hopefully an owner soon enough.

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Seawind 850 ** NOW SOLD **

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Seawind Catamarans

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Seawind Catamarans has enjoyed a stellar reputation of building performance cruising catamarans for over 35 years. Their success is due to their simple design philosophy - to build catamarans that sail exceptionally well, are engineered to the highest quality, can be sailed by anyone, and provide safety and comfort to those aboard. To that end, Seawind made a decision very early on to build catamarans with a focus on cruising couples and families.

All Seawinds are engineered to offshore standards utilizing innovative technologies and materials to create a strong, safe, and reliable boat. The narrower hull designs cut through the water efficiently, getting you to your destination faster and the lines and controls are led back to the cockpit optimizing these boats for solo or short-handed operation. The only twin helm design in the world that offers unrivaled protection from the harsh sun, rain, and wind by being located behind a major bulkhead. Add to this the panoramic windows that give you complete visibility and the flexibility to steer from either side of the boat when sailing so you can properly trim your sails or dock with an optimal twin engine control.

A very generous cockpit allows for a multitude of options. On the Seawind 1160 and 1190 models, add some foldaway deck chairs and a table, use the cockpit as a work area, set up equipment, or clean a freshly caught fish for dinner. The 1260, 1370, and 1600 models offer traditional lounge and seating spaces in the cockpit with built in tables for comfort while making way or entertaining on the dock or hook. The Seawind 1600 offers a sliding door system with opening windows, and all other models offer the innovative tri-fold door system to seamlessly tie the inside and outside living spaces together. The extra-large opening windows in the saloon, hatches and cabins on all of the Seawind models create outstanding ventilation and natural lighting.

The open galley on the Seawind 1160, 1190 and 1260 down in the starboard hull is similar to a Butler’s Pantry. It is completely separate from the living area and no space is wasted; creating a larger galley with storage and prep space. This results in a lounge/living area equal to that of a 50-footer. The Seawind 1370 and 1600 have a galley on the main level tied in seamlessly with the saloon living area. Regardless of style, these galleys make cooking a delight!

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seawind 850 catamaran for sale

• seawind 850 catamaran

Seawind 850

Sea Wind 850 catamaran , 1993, Great cruising and entertaining boat.Slipped December 2023, new forestay and Profuler fitted and...

SEAWIND 850

Seawind 850Sea Wind 850 catamaran , 1993, Great cruising and entertaining boat.Slipped December 2023, new forestay...

2018 Seawind 1260

Seawind 1260.

Seawind 1600 (sailboat) for sale

Seawind 1600.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to take delivery of a Seawind 1600 this year! Just added completion photos sent to us from the factory....

Seawind 1190 Sport (sailboat) for sale

Seawind 1190 sport.

Manufacturer Provided Description With one pre ordered 1190 Sport already under construction, you can expect to see this 39 foot performance cruising catamaran ...

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Seawind 1160

A big cat springs from small beginnings..

Shortly before Ben Lexcens Australia II shook up the New York Yacht Club and the world by walking off with the Americas Cup, some other upstart Aussies were making themselves known Down Under.

Richard Ward and his mates were into multihulls. Like a fellow aficionado named Hobie, they thought everyone should have one. By 1982, Maricats-built in Wollongong (the Sydney suburb where Seawind is located today) and sailed off the beach-were going 3,000 strong around Sydney. Then came the Seawind 24. One of the success stories of the 1980s, this mini-cruiser sold more than 350 boats.

The Seawind 850 (1991) marked the maturity of Wards multihull company, but it was the 33-foot 1000 (1994) that made Seawind the biggest catamaran builder in Australia. That role has encompassed other designs (like the Seawind 1200) and projects (like the Formula 40 Simply the Best), and Seawind has not stopped growing. In 2000, Ward and crew acquired the Venturer line of luxury power catamarans, and more recently, the company teamed up with New Zealand engineering firm High Modulus to upgrade the Seawinds construction process.

Although the hull and deck of the boat we tested were made using conventional hand layup, the newer Seawinds-thanks to the recent partnership-are now made using a high-tech resin infusion process. Making use of closed molds, controlled-environment curing, and vacuum pressure, Seawinds new approach is in line with developments at production and custom shops around the world. By reducing resin content, increasing wet-out, and improving the bond between core and skin in a laminate, resin infusion is recognized as an upgrade in the quality of glass-fiber construction.

Well-regarded for Americas Cup efforts and projects like the experimental Playstation (Steve Fossetts extreme catamaran), High Modulus already has provided personnel (like composite engineer Richard Hallowes) to Seawind and is in the process of preparing core kits for the 1160 hull, deck, and liners.

Design Forty centimeters is hardly more than a foot. You wouldnt think such a small change in length would herald a significantly different design, but Seawinds 1160, just slightly smaller than the 1200 that preceded it, is different indeed. Among the innovations that helped the 1160 win honors as the Australian Marine Industries Federation Boat of the Year for 2005 are a clever tri-fold door assembly, a self-tacking jib, a fold-away bowsprit, and stem-to-stern hull windows.

The 1200 was launched in the 1990s and aimed at charter companies working in the Whitsunday Islands. It offers four-cabin accommodations and two full-sized heads. The settee in the main saloon seats 10. Its builders say the 1200 is equipped to the standard of a luxury apartment. Seawind produces a half-dozen or so of these palaces per year, but thats hardly their whole story.

Launched in 1994, the Seawind 1000 has gone on to sell over 150 units. Key to the 1000s popularity, Ward says, is its open cockpit/saloon. We were seeking a boat that was a pleasure to sail for everyone aboard, he explains. The SW 1000s central cockpit flows straight out to the aft deck. Everyone on deck has the feeling of being together. With the aft deck accessible from the transom steps, this whole area becomes a focal point at anchor, too.

Introduced near the end of 2004, the 1160 is something of a marriage between the cruisability and solidity of the 1200 and the popular openness and zip of the 1000. The magic wand that makes bridgedeck space convertible on the new design is a set of three panel doors. When deployed, they enclose the saloon and offer the sort of lockable, secure, and cozy indoor area thats missing from the 1000. To open up the bridgedeck, fold the panels together and hoist the assembly up and out of the way. This yields the same indoor/outdoor space that has made the 1000 connect with owners.

Hinged on its forward end, the combination latches to the overhead arch (or targa). The doors are stout, and we worried about what would happen if they came adrift. However, a close look at the mechanism (doubly fail-safe with lanyard and latch) and periodic examinations underway convinced us the hazard was more hypothetical than genuine.

All of the Seawinds have mini-keels. Ward explains how this reflects his design philosophy: The boats offer great sailing and good performance, but they are not racing boats. The Seawind approach favors the practicality, simplicity, and grounding protection afforded by keels over the higher efficiency made possible by using daggerboards. The Seawinds keels are not shaped to afford upwind lift nor small enough to prevent downwind drag. They do allow the boat to dry out and protect its rudders and propellers from underwater hazards. The keels are thick glass, so any damage to them is easily repaired, Ward adds.

The same priorities are evident in hull shape. Length-to-beam ratio is more important as an arbiter of multihull speed than raw waterline length. The skinnier the hull or the higher its length-to-beam number, the higher a cats potential speed. While not all designers provide the waterline beam information to make accurate comparisons, approximated figures can be instructive.

We took a sample of five cruising cats and found only the relatively bulbous Prout 38 to have a length-to-beam number as low as the Seawind 1160s ratio of 7.7. Beamier hulls make for a greater payload and a higher prismatic (which is good). However, they limit top-end speed while adding parasitic drag that harms light-air performance.

Wards formula for fun under sail includes a powerful, big-roach, fully battened mainsail. Trimmed via a traveler atop the targa, the sail is both powerful and simple to control. The high-aspect ratio jib is an efficient adjunct with maximum lift developed by its long leading edge and efficiency born of good trimming angles. The latter emanate from the 1160s simple-but-elegant self-tacking arrangement (an arc of track on the foredeck with blocks and fairleads positioned to provide even tension through a good range of orientations). The octane in the tank can come from an optional screecher. Flown from the boats fold-down sprit, it can supercharge apparent wind and energize the speedo.

Catamarans have an aesthetic unto themselves. The 1160 has sharp, near-plumb stems that slice attractively through the water. Its transom curves are sinuous and long. In between, we find elements that fail to mesh. Its black glass hull windows seem automotive, but help reduce glare. Its hard-topped saloon with oversized windows smacks of a powerboat. Granted, these observations are from the eye of the beholder, but we have beheld better-looking boats.

Accommodations Due to its oversized hull windows, the 1160 is exceptionally bright belowdeck. The hulls are open well forward from the stairways descending both port and starboard. The molded glass interior is relieved in places with accents of wood, but in our opinion, the impression was more stark than traditional and shippy.

To port is an inward-facing nav table, a generous double berth, and a spacious head. The heads stand-up shower compartment (behind plexiglass doors) has much more elbow room and convenience than sailors are generally used to.

One optional layout features an athwartships island double (on the port hull only), which allows access from both sides of the bunk. Air-conditioning ducts are in place, and you can open overhead hatches, but the fixed side windows don’t allow for any cross ventilation. Another choice is a four-cabin layout with doubles at the ends of each hull and a second head instead of a nav station. The after cabins in this set-up appear tight with berths that are not much over six feet, but inward-facing opening ports and standard fans make for better ventilation.

Grey Polystone counters (inboard and outboard) provide an exceptional amount of work space in the galley. The three-burner propane stove and double stainless steel sinks are top quality and appropriately sized. There is a front-opening refrigerator as well as a deep freezer (2 cubic feet).

Despite the boats outdoorsy feel and the serious stainless gas barby located on the aft deck, the 1160 galley-ample stowage, teak and holly sole, varnished cabinetry, and deep cutlery drawers-seems well set up for preparing real meals. The downside, of course, is shuffling dishes up and down to the main saloon, typical on cats this size.

Belowdecks accommodations suit the 1160 for cruising and even passage making, but the heart of the boat is the cockpit/saloon area. While the table lowers to become a double bed, thats hardly the extent of the boats versatility. With the remote for the autopilot, you can steer in protected splendor. On the other hand, if you want to entertain 22 or so of your most-intimate friends dockside, youve got the space to party (without even disturbing those in their bunks below).

Performance Theres nothing particularly scientific about it, but when you see the competition disappearing astern, its bound to give you a good feeling about your boats performance. Never mind that the cat in question was under cruising sail while we were sporting a screecher; adrenalin made us happy to be aboard the 1160 during our test sail following the Strictly Sail Show in Miami in February.

The rush of that encounter was about the only excitement, however. The breeze topped out at about 4 knots true. Other than admiring the way Seawind Sales Manager Brent Vaughan popped the full length battens in the main after a tack to remove the reverse camber in the sail, there was not that much to note. We did try the outboard helm positions and were pleased to note that we could see the tell-tales (drooping) clearly from the weather side. We did hoist the main and feel that, even with the 2:1 purchase on the halyard, it was a very big sail. We steered for a while and noted that, despite the lack of pressure on the helm, it was much harder to turn the wheel than we liked. (Vaughan agreed and took the problem to the shop: Weve actually re-designed that tiller system with pull-pull cables to minimize friction. It steers much better now, he reported.)

Finally some puffs rippled in, and we got the hulls burbling with enough momentum to try some tacking. We noted how easily the boat turned through the wind and how well it maintained its way despite changing boards.

Given the lack of distraction, we were able to scrutinize the sail controls. The self-tacking jib is simple and, even without much wind in the sail, did not appear to be overcome by excess friction. The mainsheet traveler system atop the targa is elegant and efficient. All cruising boats purport to be rigged for single-handed sailing. The Seawind 1160 makes that promise a reality.

With so little actual performance to go on, we tried to learn more about the boat. Many of those who have sailed the 1160 say that it tacks easily. This involves some rocker in the hulls, good-sized rudders, a shallow forefoot, and a well-modulated balance between the center of lateral resistance (below the water) and the center of pressure (in the sail). From what we saw, the 1160 fits these criteria fairly well. We think, therefore, that it will be that rare multihull that sails through a tack as positively as the average monohull.

Starting with the SW 1000, Ward has given his cats asymmetrical hulls. He builds in flare on the inside of the bows and carries it well aft (above the waterline). He gains interior volume this way, but he also asserts that the shape cushions the boats ride and prevents both wave-slapping on the bridgedeck and pitch-poling in waves.

Delivery skippers we have consulted are positive about the boats performance. She doesn’t dive or sail around the leeward bow the way most multihulls do, one veteran said. On the other hand, a naval architect noted for multihulls says that any strake or flare has to counteract something like 50,000 foot pounds of force. I doubt that a bulge in the hull can do that. We must admit that this is a question weve yet to answer.

The 1160 is powered by twin Yanmar diesel (30 hp) saildrives. The noise and vibration levels were remarkably low throughout the boat, even at high rpms. Twin-screw maneuverability is a solid advantage that boats like these present. It was slightly difficult to access the engines: For example, accessing the dipstick via a panel in the head seemed convoluted.

Conclusions We especially liked the open feel of the sailing/living area on the 1160. The big, integrated cockpit/saloon is a wonderfully accommodating space that does what Ward says it does-bring people together. The tri-fold doors used to button her up are ridiculously simple. Were not saying that makes them foolproof, but they should work well.

Looks left us cold, as we have said. Style-as in carpeted patches below, lackluster woodwork, less-than-imaginative decor-we found to be a weakness. But that, too, can be a matter of taste. The boat costs over $400,000, but in many areas, it doesn’t look like it.

There are some good things about a catamaran built for comfort, not for speed. We doubt that the Seawind will suffer materially from overloading; it is not that close to the cutting edge of performance to begin with. Having heard reports of an 1160 weathering a three-day storm in the Tasman Sea, we are further convinced that it is put together well. We have faith that High Modulus will guide the process so that it becomes even better built.

Ward has been, for more than 30 years, a pioneer. Hes opened eyes, raised questions, and changed minds. While the 1160 shows a creative approach to meeting market demands, its hard to see it as Wards supreme achievement.

Contact – Seawind Yachts, 61 2/9810-1844, www.seawindcats.com .

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At 850, Moscow Takes A Bow

By Alessandra Stanley

• Aug. 17, 1997

AMERICANS are often pleasantly surprised by their first glimpse of downtown Moscow. It doesn't look at all like a Soviet rendition of Co-op City.

Outer districts are still dehumanized by huge, bleak concrete high-rise apartments that epitomize Soviet planning. But the city center is a latticework of curving, narrow streets, pastel 18th- and 19th-century mansions, stately museums, gold-domed Russian Orthodox Churches and, starting in the last few years, gleaming, modern offices.

There are parks, fountains, tree-lined boulevards and the always-startling St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square, that madly colorful, Byzantine swirl of onion domes and towers that instantly gives visitors a giddy feeling that Western civilization ends here.

And this fall, downtown Moscow will look even more unexpectedly appealing. The Russian capital will celebrate its 850th anniversary this September, with a three-day orgy of concerts, television specials, black-tie galas, parades, fireworks, regattas, folk festivals, sports events and street fairs that promises to combine the capitalist excesses of the American Bicentennial with some of the regimented boosterism of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

The city's popular, iron-willed mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, wants to show Russians and the world that he can create Western-style prosperity, with a fillip of old-fashioned Soviet order and discipline.

Over the last 18 months, the capital has been sandblasted, scrubbed, repaved, repainted, replanted and rebuilt to sparkle like a shining theme park reinvention of itself -- Moscowland.

By Sept. 5, prostitutes, drunks, beggars and other undesirables will have been dragged off subways and street corners and deported beyond the city limits. So far this year, crime is down 20 percent, and Mr. Luzhkov has bullied all shop owners in the city center to clean their storefronts and put up red, blue and white anniversary displays. Cleaning crews will be scrubbing cement pavements until they sparkle like stone. To show he can even browbeat nature, Mr. Luzhkov has ordered that on each day of the anniversary, special military planes seed the clouds above Moscow to avert rain.

The most aggressively advertised special anniversary events are a light show by Jean-Michel Jarre and a concert by Pavarotti. But the real windfall for foreign tourists is a chance to see the city after a $50 million face lift.

Those who hate crowds and unfriendly police officers telling them to move along may prefer to wait until after the closing ceremony on Sept. 7 to take the city's pulse. By then, tourists will be able to stroll through the Kremlin gardens and see fountains gushing, flower beds packed with gladiolus and roses, and pathways swept of the usual litter and bottle shards.

The opulent, neo-classical facade of the Bolshoi has been restored; the soaring Christ the Saviour Cathedral, razed by Stalin in 1931, has been rebuilt, as have the Resurrection Gates, the czars' ceremonial entryway to what is now Red Square. The Tretyakov Art Gallery, closed for seven years for repairs, reopened two years ago with marble floors, a museum shop and a cafeteria as well as a vast collection of Russian art, from medieval icons to 19th-century portraits by Serov.

History is the celebration's main theme (it is billed as ''Moscow: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow''), but the artistic legacy of Chekov and Pushkin, the grandeur of the czars and the glory of the Russian Orthodox Church will take precedence over the more recent past.

Moscovites, who are far better off than most other Russians, are eager to forget the fear and tedium of Socialism. But many Americans are still avidly curious about life behind the Iron Curtain.

Most of the obvious symbols of Soviet power, the grandiose monuments to Lenin and Marx, have been pulled down. (Though not all: In the middle of Oktyabrskaya Square, a 70-foot statue of Lenin still glares accusingly at the future -- in this case, a neon-lighted American diner smugly nestled in a prime location at his feet.) The Cold War atmosphere of fear and clandestine movement that stalked visitors dried up long ago. Particularly during the anniversary, glimpses of Russia's totalitarian past will be airbrushed out of the city's promotional brochures.

Lenin's Tomb in Red Square, which is dismissively mentioned in the glossy official ''Great Moscow'' guidebook that the Mayor issued for the 850th anniversary, is the simplest way to experience a frisson from Russia's scary, fascinating past.

Russians no longer line up for hours in front of the mausoleum to pay their respects to the father of the Bolshevik Revolution. Fierce-looking honor guards no longer goose-step in front of the tomb. The Russian Government is gingerly exploring the option of reburying Lenin in his family plot in St. Petersburg, but Communists and nationalists are violently opposed to moving him from his prime spot.

For now, tourists are still escorted single file by stern guards through the huge granite mausoleum into the room where Lenin's body lies, embalmed with a concoction that remains a state secret. Cameras are confiscated at the door. Visitors are forbidden to speak -- guards angrily hush even a whispered comment. Inside the glowing, red-lighted room, the sight of Lenin in a glass case is awesome and somewhat grotesque. And the solemnity and regimentation that are still imposed on visitors provide a brief insight into how tightly Communism once constricted Russian life.

A key factor in the collapse of Communism sits right across Red Square in the sprawling 19th-century department store GUM, which after 70 years of neglect is now bustling with shoppers in a Galeries Layfayette, the Estee Lauder boutique and other pavilions of the bourgeois decadence that the Bolsheviks were singularly unable to rout.

By September, a vast underground shopping and office complex, beneath Manezh Square next to the Kremlin, is expected to open as a testament to the new Russian wealth. So is the fancy new American-style Marriott Grand, a 390-room hotel. It is managed by Marriott, but owned by Russian companies. Like the other nine luxury hotels in the capital, it is not cheap: Rooms start at $300 a night.

But there is more to modern Moscow than mammon. The city has more than 400 churches. One of the most interesting is the Novodevichy Convent, next to a small, lovely park on the Moscow River southwest of the Kremlin. Founded as a convent in the early 16th century, Novodevichy was partly modeled on the Kremlin, and its fortified walls and crenelated towers compete with gold cupolas, lending it an exotic look -- spiritual and menacing at the same time.

THE convent was mostly populated by the aristocracy. Peter the Great banished his smart and scheming sister Sofia there in 1689. When she encouraged a failed uprising against him nine years later, he had the bodies of conspirators hanged outside the windows of her cell.

The Bolsheviks evicted all the nuns in 1922, but the convent was preserved initially as a ''Museum of Women's Emancipation.'' When that brief revolutionary fad passed, it was turned into a state museum.

Part of the grounds are cemeteries, where many famous Russians are buried -- some of them atheists. The graves of Chekov, Bulgakov, Stalin's unfortunate second wife Nadezhda Alliluyeva and Nikita S. Khrushchev -- who was removed in a coup and denied a burial on Red Square -- can be visited.

But the park, which curves pleasantly around a large green pond, is a haven from history, a place where generations of ordinary Russians have spent their Sundays walking their dogs or playing with their children. Foreign correspondents would sometimes meet dissidents there, hoping that the trees were not bugged. Now, the paths have been taken over by joggers and men sipping their vodka in the fresh air.

Moscow now has many good, if expensive, restaurants. One of the better-known is directly across the street from Novodevichy, U Pirosmany, a Georgian restaurant that was one of the first cooperatives to spring up during Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika. Catering mainly to tourists, it is the Mamma Leone's of Moscow. They prepare all the classic dishes, such as lobio and chicken satsivi, and while other restaurants serve better, spicier Georgian food, U Pirosmany has a cheerful, homey dining room with windows that overlook the convent and the pond, and the entrance is lined with pictures of celebrity customers. Bill Clinton dined there after last year's summit with President Yeltsin.

One of the best restaurants in Moscow, and one of the more expensive, is worth a visit for its extraordinary setting. Le Gastronome offers California-French cuisine in a former luxury grocery store known as the Gastronom in one of the seven identical neo-Gothic skyscrapers that Stalin ordered built after the war.

The restaurant's owners painstakingly cleaned and preserved the grand interior. Its high ceilings, pink marble, gold filigree and huge chandeliers look a little like a Donald Trump version of czarist Russia. In fact its over-the-top opulence was Stalin's attempt to impress the proletariat -- the culinary equivalent of the grandiose, cathedral-like subway stations built in the 1930's.

Many of those metro stations are as awe-inspiring now as when they were first built. Daytime traffic in Moscow is worse than in midtown Manhattan and taxis are scarce, so tourists are better off taking the subway, which is cleaner and safer than New York's and offers stunning sightseeing in itself.

The Mayakovskaya station, with soaring marble pillars and arches and stained glass ceilings, looks like a palace. Ploshchad Revolutsii (Revolutionary Square), opened in 1938, is equally grand and lined with marble niches bearing bronze statues representing the heroes of the New Socialist Order -- soldiers, athletes, factory workers and farmers.

Heroes of the New Capitalist Order can be seen in the flesh at any of Moscow's 70 casinos, where businessmen, mobsters, models and scantily clad ladies of the night gather around roulette wheels and blackjack tables, reveling in Russia's new lawlessness. The Beverly Hills casino, in the same building as Le Gastronome, offers the requisite amber lighting, disco music and louche ambiance. On weekdays, there is no cover charge, so the sights and sounds can be briefly sampled free.

Casinos and nightclubs are not highlighted as part of the official anniversary, but that is where much of the money that helped transform Moscow into a modern 20th-century city gets thrown around.

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