A Class Catamaran

The international A-Class Catamaran is a singlehanded boat that is uni-rigged and allows a trapeze. The class was developed in the 1960s as part of a move by the International Yacht Racing Union (now the ISAF) to classify four groups of racing catamarans. While the early B and C classes developed in other directions and the D class never coalsced to begin with, the A-Class continues to thrive. As a development class, it sees continual refinement in hull, sail, and rigging ideas, including the use of wave-piercing hull shapes. Hydrofoils have been forbidden on this 18-foot boat since 2001. There are active fleets in Europe and Australia and on both coasts of North America. The A Class Cat is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) International Multihull Class Association. For more information, read the A Class Cat Wikipedia article.