Issue 17 : Mar/Apr 2001
The Catalina 22 is a sporty little craft that does triple duty as a daysailer, weekend cruiser, and club racer. I became aware of the 22’s performance potential about 12 years ago when I belonged to the Anacortes Yacht Club. A well-sailed 22 was always in the forefront in the club’s Saturday PHRF races and usually seemed to gather up more than her share of the silver at the annual banquet. If we compare the Catalina 22 to a trio of similar sized yachts, we can understand why.
Let’s consider the easy ones first. When it comes to ease of motion, none of these little yachts will provide more than a modicum of comfort at best, and they’ll all give a bumpy ride in a steep chop. The Catalina seems to come off much the worst when it comes to cruising comfort. Saying that, I have to admit that I’ve cruised for a week or more in boats with a lot less space and comfort than any of this group provides, including some great cruises in open daysailers and outboard skiffs. When you’re young and enthusiastic, adventure comes first, and comfort is the least of your worries.
As to the Capsize Screening Factor, none of these craft is intended as an offshore boat. Still, there are “protected” waters such as the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, the Straits of Georgia, and similar large, open bodies of water where the wind and waves can become very serious indeed. As the CSF indicates, sailors of small, light yachts such as these must keep an eye on the weather and be ready to seek shelter when the wind pipes up to the point where small craft warnings are issued. To quote Wilfred Brimley, “It’s the smart thing to do.”
The ballast ratio would seem to favor the Canadian Sailcraft CS22, a popular Canadian boat. However, on boats as light as these, crew weight becomes a large part of the stability, so the Catalina, with an active crew, can hold its own in that regard, especially in moderate winds. Still, when it comes right down to performance, the factors that give the Catalina the edge are her high Sail Area/Displacement ratio and her low Displacement/Length ratio. With her wide stern adding to stability, she should get up and fly on a good reach. Too, her high-aspect ratio board projects a full 50 inches below her clean hull, quite a bit more than on the competition, so it adds its share to weatherliness and performance.
To sum up, the Catalina 22 has, over the years, provided a great many sailors and families with the things that they want in a small boat: adventure, performance, and fun. It’s no wonder they sold 15,000 of the little rascals!
Ted Brewer is one of North America’s best-known yacht designers, having worked on the America’s Cup boats, American Eagle and Weatherly, as well as boats that won the Olympics, the Gold Cup, and dozens of celebrated ocean races. He also is the man who designed scores of good old boats . . . the ones still sailing after all these years.
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