Sailing Glatisant

Even for a catamaran, Glatisant is rather wide (9.14m long, 6.10m wide)

The cockpit measures 2x3 metres (3 wide). Luckily, you get used to that quickly. The wide cockpit allows a wide traveller. That makes a downhaul superflues; the twist is well regulated with the tension on the main sheet and the place of the block on the traveller. We can steer at the wheel at the port saloon entrance, or at the tiller at port and starboard.
The sails are made by Arjen Kooij from Haarlem (Netherlands). The main is loose footed. Firstly we hoist the mainsail, then we put tension on the luff using the cunningham. The tension on the cunningham also regulates the top of the square-head main.
The jib leads are on a track, with a windangle of 15°. The angle can be adjusted (widened) with barberhaulers. The jib can be reefed (useful from 6 Bf). After that, we have a smaller jib on the forestay. Finally, the storm-jib can be hoisted on the babystay. There used to be a furling jib on the boat. I’m not too fond of that system; it means a lot of weight in a high position, and the profile of the jib is OK only when fully unfurled. The Glatisant now has a special tackle for dropping the jib, which brings the jib down to deck in no time. Because the width of the boat, it is dropped always on deck. And for reefing or hoisting another jib, we don’t lack room for manoeuvring on the trampoline. For light weather, we have a gennaker that is sailed from a bowsprit.
How fast is it? People tend to think that catamarans sail with speeds of 20 knots (or more). Of course, they exist, but the Glatisant also is a cruising catamaran! The highest speed I ever experienced with the Glatisant was 14.9 knots, and that was the moment that the gennaker urgently needed to be dropped! During the North Sea Triangle in 2009, we entered the Orkneys (under gennaker) in flat water when we touched 13.2 knots. At that time, there was no need to lower the gennaker. So, sailing with 10 knots is done regularly, a little higher also, but do not count on 15+.