Claims against catamarans debunked

Hardly any berths in Baltic Sea harbours

A harbour that isn’t wide enough to accommodate a catamaran isn’t deep enough to berth a comparable mono.

If there’s space for monos lying alongside, then there’s space for a catamaran.

Should there really not be enough space, you can drop anchor close to the shore, thanks to the catamaran’s shallow draught. The dingy can be launched in a jiffy ;)

can't sail close to the wind

False. Catamarans are faster, which is why the apparent wind has a tendency to blow more from ahead for the same true wind.

Monos with optimum beating characteristics can indeed sail closer to the wind. Despite this, catamarans display a higher speed to target.

In practice, however, this issue is irrelevant as no one would sail against the wind and waves by choice – this is no fun on a cat or a mono.

A catamaran is difficult to tack

This is only half true. It takes a bit of practice – and a challenge is sometimes no bad thing…

The gybes are much easier to handle than on a mono – especially in strong winds.

A catamaran can capsize

True – but so can a mono. Catamarans stay afloat and act like very large life rafts – see “safety” and “unsinkable”.