BoatsSol Cat 20

Sol Cat 20

Catamaran, twin daggerboards · Frac. Sloop (Rotating Spar) · First built 1976

Ultralight at 215 kilograms, this 1976 catamaran offers an exceptional power-to-weight ratio for rapid acceleration

Designed by Gene Vernon.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Dbrd.

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Ramp-launchableAbout 216 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 0.13 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LightHeavy

29 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 29
EasygoingPowered-up

64.5 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 64.5
  • Heavier than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 139 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Frac. Sloop (Rotating Spar)
Ratios
SA / displacement
64.5
Displacement / length
28.8
Hull
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Dbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1976
Designer
Gene Vernon
Builder
Sol Catamarans Inc

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Hobie 21 SE6.48 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA high-performance catamaran with a rotating spar, originally developed as a one-design for professional racing
A 5,500 km Journey Across the Amazon on Two Hobie Cat Sailboats5:53from Hashtag Sal
Hobie Tiger 185.51 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterDesigned to the Formula 18 rule, this 5.5-metre catamaran features twin daggerboards and a high power-to-weight ratio
4 day solo passage to the Greek town of Vasiliki 🇬🇷 & sailing cats with ​⁠@JOYRIDER TV26:10from Sam Holmes Sailing
Hobie 165.05 mSame hull family1.0 m shorterThe most popular sailing catamaran ever built, featuring a rotating spar and boardless hull for high-speed beach sailing
Sailing around Nordkapp on Hobie 16 Catamaranfrom Igor Stropnik
Hobie FX One5.18 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA 5.18-metre single-handed catamaran featuring a rotating fractional rig and an exceptional 56.56 sail area-to-displacement ratio
Hobie Cat, 15 days & 1200km2:47from Igor Stropnik
Supercat 154.65 mSame hull family1.4 m shorterA high-performance beach catamaran with a rotating spar and an exceptional sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Why St. John Feels Nothing Like St. Thomas E38116:38from Wildly Intrepid Sailing
Astus Boats 226.65 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA Stephan Vallet-designed trimaran with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for rapid, stable coastal cruising
sailing to the boat show6:10from Sam Holmes Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Supercat 20A high-performance catamaran with a rotating spar and extreme power-to-weight ratio, designed for speed.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Sol Cat 20

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue