SVN solovelanet

24 SVN Solovelanet Global Most of those going out to sea are conformists and used to sailing monohulls. They are just now starting to realize that there are also different kind of boats, and for this we have to thank the charter market, which offers luxurious sailing holidays aboard spacious catamarans. However, these catamarans are very different from those made according to the "Wharram philoso- phy". To tell you the truth, we should rather call Wharram projects "double canoes" to distance ourselves from the current trend of luxurious and "modern" boats designed for urban men. These modern catamarans are weighed down by bigger and bigger engines, which are needed to counteract the enormous wind resistance offered by an ever higher freeboard. In my opinion they are ugly and have lost all contact with the original concept of double canoes from which they descend. As for me, I just turned 91 and am now finishing my autobiography. I am writing the last chapter, and hope to be able to publish the book by 2020. My latest big project is the Mana 24 and I hope in its success. Because of its features, I think this model is especially suitable for the Italian market ". The Mana has been designed to be sold in resin- coated construction kits. In order to avoid excessi - ve tension in the forestay, it has been designed with a two-mast rig, an unusual solution on such a small boat. Mana is 23 feet 6 inches in length, same as Tangaroa. And so the journey ends where it started. At present, Wharram is the designer that has sold the most models in the world. His catamarans, or rather his double canoes, range from models suitable to be carried on the roof of a car up to two-masted sailing ships like the Islander 65 and big catamarans like the Pahi 52. All the projects have some features that make these boats unmistakable. The "Wharram philosophy" sails on two hulls. Simplicity and safety. The typical sail rig includes a wing mainsail, a sail threaded on the mast with a large pocket that eliminates any turbulence, and tracks and hanks too. A stylish peak in the head increases the sail surface and allows for shivering in a burst. The hulls are held together by means of textile bindings to absorb the strain, just like Polynesian canoes. Wharram's famous first journey across the Atlan - tic is the subject of his book Two girls and two catamarans. T he Mana 24 is exactly 23 feet 65 inches long, the exact same length as the Tanga- roa, the first of Wharram's catamarans, with which he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1956. Seven metres and fifteen centimetres, a length that is also great for trailering. It is available in an assembly kit. Pieces are pre-cut and pre-coated with epoxy, and it ta - kes a day's work to assemble a hull. Crossbe- ams are tied with straps and buckles to speed up assembly operations. The mainmast is placed forward to make room for an awning to be mounted on the saloon, or a sprayhood in navigation area. The choice of two masts has made it possible to eliminate the jib and consequently the forestay, while the mizzen mast helps in the veering manoeuvre, that is one of the typical weaknesses of catamarans. The shape of the hulls is different from the past and the aft area, where the berths are placed, gains space and stability The sail is a wingsail, which completely wraps the mast, to improve the leading edge. This is the typical Wharram's choice: a solution that is as old as simple. It is so effective that the same aerodynamic principle is used even in the double mainsail of the AC 75 of America's Cup, masterfully described by Daniele Ciri - gliano in the latest issue of Solovela. The cost is around 13,000 euros. The Mana 24

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