Shearwater Class
We are a sociable and lively class with a strong racing programme. We are passionate and knowledgeable about racing and enjoy legendary après-sailing just as much as on the water. If you've not raced before we'll throw in all the technical and racing support you need.
Get in touch to get going we would love to see you.
The Class
The Shearwater Class Association has an enviable reputation for friendliness, and a professional outlook on how a Class Association should be run.
There is a "Travellers Trophy" series held at a variety of clubs throughout the season. Always well attended, and hotly contested.
A mid-winter get-together is held at a hotel over a weekend, where various prizes are awarded, including the coveted Travellers Trophy. There is also an award for the "Shearwater Spirit", given to those individuals judged to have given the most help and advice to both new and old Shearwater sailors alike.
Owners and their families regard the Nationals and "T.T." weekends as an integral part of their social life, and many life long friendships are built up.
If you have not tried a modern Shearwater before, don't delay any longer-you may be missing out on the thrill of a lifetime.
To keep up to date with events, boats for sale, and the latest news, why not join the Association, and secure your copy of the NSCOA magazine.
The History
The Shearwater Catamaran was first developed in the 1950's by Roland and Francis Prout who experimented by lashing their two Kayaks together with bamboo poles, erected a mast and sail thus created one of the very first sailing catamarans.
Realising the potential of this configuration, they designed and built a racing version - Shearwater I - which, in 1954, won the Burnham-on-Crouch Dinghy Regatta, much to the surprise of many of the top sailors of the day.
By 1956, following further development and rapid growth of interest, Shearwater III was entered in the first ever Cross Channel Dinghy Race and beat the best competition of the day (including the legendary Uffa Fox) by over one hour!!
With rapid growth in the numbers of Shearwaters being sailed, the Class was granted National status in 1956, followed by it's first National Championship in 1957, won, perhaps not surprisingly, by Roland Prout with brother Francis, third.
Much of the development of boat and sail plan that has ensued ever since was due to the foresight of the original "Gang of Four" (Roland and Francis Prout, Jim Ballard and Ken Pearce) by making the Shearwater III a "Restricted Development Class."
Basically, other than hull shape and size, total sail area and black band height, one could develop ones own ideas - a concept that has benefited not only the Shearwater but much of catamaran design over the ensuing decades - thanks to the ingenuity and inventiveness of so many in the Class whose creative abilities were unhampered by "One Design" restriction so prevalent among today's dinghy catamarans.
A typical example of this was the introduction, in 1972, of the spinnaker and it's associated layout - a good decade before a third sail began to appear on other catamaran classes but which nowadays is an integral part of any modern catamaran.
Whist the original boats were wooden, this freedom of choice has meant that boats are now made from any of today's modern materials such as carbon fibre, foam sandwich, wood/epoxy resin composite and of course, GRP.
This freedom of choice is greatly enhanced by the fact that the Shearwater Association is now the sole owner of the hull moulds thanks to the kindness and lifelong support of the Prout family.
In terms of sail plan the Shearwater rig has seen constant development both in sail material and shape with later boats sporting ultra high aspect, square top rigs as advances in sail design and materials make this possible.
Perhaps the most enduring feature of the Class's history has been it's ethos of camaraderie, sailing for enjoyment and the involvement of all the family. Emanating right from it's original designers, the concept of fun for everyone involved has become a Hallmark of the Shearwater fleet whose reputation for friendliness, enthusiasm and "Class Spirit" is recognised throughout the Catamaran fraternity. In today's cut throat world where nothing seems to matters except winning we feel our values and ethos have much to offer.
Shearwater - the boat as it is today...