NorCat are catamarans by Reidar Uthaug, builder of the successful 36ft catamaran "Fanitullen".

Currently under construction are the new NorCat 37 - a high performance catamaran for club racing and coastal cruising.

The first two boats will be built by Lasse Tønnesen and Reidar Uthaug.

UPDATE - Nov. 2007

During the two years gone since last update of this homepage Norcat 37 has not only proved to be a fast and comfortable cruiser, but has also started to show it's potential as a racing multihull.

Færder race 2006 "Blaa Recept" was 3rd multihull on elapsed time only beaten by Seacart "Camilla" and TRT-1200 "Våghals".

Færder Race 2007 "Blaa Recept" did very well untill the wind died completely, only faster multihull was a SeaCart.

First day of 2007 "Ulabrand Race" Norcat 37 "UFO" saw a top speed so far of 23 knts, faster than the TRTs and a Reynolds 33 also taking part. I have been told it was a delight to watch "UFO" at these speeds lifting her bows without any tendancy to dig in. According to the skipper/owner Lasse they could have been faster reefed more down. Also in this race "UFO" was crewed by Lasse and family.

At the 2007 International Multihull Meeting (IMM) in Fredrikstad "Blaa Recept" was awarded "Most radical and innovative design".

During the years I have been contacted by people both from the USA and Europe interested in buying a Norcat:

"Your NorCat 37 is undoubtly the best looking racer/cruiser cat I have ever seen. Keep up the good work. How can I get one?" - "Awesome design and a great looking job you guys do" - "Wow, it looks like you put it all together! You built an ergonmically friendly boat that is light weight and looks great!" - "Beautiful boats, they look like the right combination of size, style and performance. I only wish there were more out there, or at least one in the US." - etc.

So far I have been negative to any further production as I have wanted the boats to be tested in different conditions before considering what to do with the moulds, as well as I have been busy with other projects.

Now when I have retired from work and got my pension I for sure will not get too much involved into any production. I might, however, consider to rent out or sell the moulds.

UPDATE - April 2005

Lasse’s boat "UFO", the red one, sailed for the first time during summer 2003. With only a jib, one rudder (in the port hull) and one daggerboard (in the starboard hull), he and his family cruised the western coast of Sweden and Denmark during their summer holiday. On their return from Denmark to Sweden they got about 30 knts wind and 6m waves without having any problems.

A few days before the boat was put on the hard for the winter we managed to sail the boat with jib and main. The boat accellerated easily and balanced very well, and when flying a hull we lifted the one and only rudder completely out of the water but the boat stayed on course. Top speed on this first day under jib&main was 16 knts close reaching in about 14 knts true wind. We could perhaps have gone faster, but having only one rudder we found this was enough for the day.

Summer 2004 Lasse & family cruised the western coast of Sweden and southern coast of Norway. Top speed +16 knts with wife helming and their two girls sleeping below decks. Even if Reidar has spent much time with other projects than boatbuilding for the last couple of years, he too managed to sail his boat with jib & main a couple of times in 2004, but unfortunately in very light winds and at a speed even monohullers wouldn’t bragg about.

Neither of the boats has done any racing so far, this will be changed this year

Conclusion so far:

Hulls:
The hulls are designed with the centre of bouyancy far aft, relative flat aft sections, and long bows narrow at waterline but with a substantial flare. With the sailplan further aft than usual, all this is ment to resist any tendancy to bury lee bow as the speed picks up. So far this looks very promising, but higher speed/more wind is needed to tell for sure. Neither hull flare nor bridgedeck has caused any slamming (bridgedeck clearance .75-.80m)

Rig/sails:
Experienced a violent flutter in the wingmast when tied up to a rock in about 45-50 knts wind. The mast is spreaderless and stayed by upper shrouds and forestay only. We hope to avoid flutter by adding lower shrouds for use in extreme conditions. Flutter could perhaps have been avoided this time by rotating the mast, but the wind turned all night. The sails, especially the jib, have too much draft and have to be corrected.