Part one is taken from articles written by John Fitzpatrick, Paul Hick and Philip O'Sullivan. There were cat cruisers around in these years but I will concentrate on the small cats.

Part One - The Irish Catamaran Association - 1964-1985.

While there were already catamarans racing in Northern Ireland, it all began in the South in 1964. The first ever race for Cats was held in Bray S.C. featuring Barry Brown from Dundalk S.C. in a 'Yachting World', Joe Hughes from Rush in a 'Catamanner' and Jurek Delimata in a 'Jumpahead'. At some stage that year Jurek placed an advert in the papers calling together all those interested in multihulls to the first meeting of the Irish Catamaran Association.

In 1965 Tony and Paul Hick brought a 'Swift' (smaller version of a 'Shearwater') down to Bray for the season. This was the start of a long and continuing association with cats for Paul who, in 1998, is the only one of the original group still involved in cat sailing.

1966 saw the advent of John Hall's 'Jumpahead' ("Tom Cat") and the 'Yachting World' of Quentin Adams, which they built at home from plans. In that year the first National Championships for "B" class Cats (any cat up to 20 ft sailed by two) in Bray drew 'Shearwaters' and 'Yachting Worlds' from Northern Ireland, a 'Yachting World' from Dundalk, and 'Catamanner 14s' from Rush. They competed with the 'Swift', 'Jumpahead', and 'Yachting World' already there. This event was won by the Hick Bros. However, it was the superior speed and agility of the 'Shearwaters' that made a huge impression and won the day.

Tony Hick bought two professionally built hulls in 1967, and was the first 'Shearwater' in the water, sailing with Paul. They were followed some time later by Michael Cutliffe, John McEvoy, Quentin Adams, and eventually John Hall's "Aquarius", which was still being sailed in Bray when most of the cats moved to Blessington in 1987. Sean Billings and Jurek Delimata also joined the fleet with new boats. This brought the latter's dream of one design class racing closer to reality, as the 'Yachting Worlds' were being phased out and the only real 'Yachting World' activity continued in Northern Ireland until the early seventies.

In 1969 it all seemed to be coming together for the 'Shearwater', one design, close racing, crews trapezing, etc., but 1970 saw the beginning of the end.

It was the end of the promise of an all 'Shearwater' fleet, and the start of the era of the 'CONDOR'. John McEvoy bought the first one, and took four out of the five trophies for which it was eligible that year. Despite the presence of the 'Condor' five 'Shearwater' enthusiasts had got together and arranged to purchase a pair of G.R.P. hulls each, which they completed at home. These boats were introduced to Bray in 1971. One of these was "Aquarius", with which John Hall and Malcolm Driver proceeded to dominate the leader board and top the results sheets everywhere they sailed. In 1971 alone they took home 4 major trophies.

In 1972 seven 'Shearwaters' raced in Bray S.C.'s open meeting, which was won by "Aquarius". John and Malcolm went on to take 5 trophies home that season. This proved to be the swansong of the class, because from 1973 on the 'Condor' appeared in large numbers, and the factory used to send them over in fours and sixes, including the prototype (K1) which Jurek and Garnet Kinlay campaigned in British Racing Green. The 1973 results show several successes for Sean Billings/Pat O'Connell in "Conquistador" and Paul Hick/various crews in "Mrs Robinson", and between them they took home six out of eight major trophies.

1974 gave a reprieve to "Aquarius" in the form of an extra sail - a spinnaker, and with this new lease of life, John and Malcolm made their presence felt at the front in four major events. Up to the advent of the 'Dart Hawk', theirs was the only small Cat to race in Ireland with a spinnaker. But this reprieve was only for that year, as they succumbed to the temptations of sailing a 'Condor' and started 1975 with "Adam's Ale", now owned, and sailed until recently, by Hugh Cosgrove.

Philip O'Sullivan joined Bray in 1974 and, told his story in an article in 1981, 'My Condor cat came complete with a car, a sewing machine, and a bentwood chair, all bought as a lot from my Australia bound inlaws back in 1974'. Philip is still sailing cats in Blessington S.C..

About this time Richie Peel, with his Condor "Katie", and Paul Hick headed back to the North Side. They built up a fleet of Condors in Skerries S.C. This fleet numbered 15 in 1981 and peaked in the mid eighties at 23 Condors. This is still the largest ever number of a one design catamaran at any Irish club.

Richie Peel performed well in the 'Condor' Europeans in 1980 and 1981 and Skerries S.C. was asked to host the 1982 Europeans. As with most events in Skerries, the Europeans was a great success with Irish sailors acquitting themselves well, Richard Peel of Skerries, Pat Murphy (Dinghy Supplies) of Sutton and Pat O'Connell of Bray came 4th, 5th and 6th respectively.

Some 'Hobies' were imported in 1980 and two 'Hobie 16s' participated in the 1980 B Class Nationals in Bray, but, apart from one persistent 'Catapult' sailor in Bray and the odd 'Hobie 16' from Dun Laoghaire, the Condors reigned supreme until 1987. At the Irish Catamaran Association's AGM on Nov 30th 1984 Paul Hick proposed that the association's name be changed to The "Irish Multihull Association". This motion was passed.

In 1985 the Irish Multihull Association held a race from Bray to Rush to celebrate 21 years of catamaran sailing in Ireland. The entrants were all 'Condors' except for the single-handed 'Catapult' of Dermot Mangan. The race was won by Michael Keogh crewed by Gary Collins of Skerries S.C., amid a lot of confusion about the rounding of an anchored Tall Ship in Dublin Bay (no he did not hit it).

Some names, not already mentioned but regularly at the top of the Condor fleet in those years were, Ivan Bishoff, Alan Sheerin, light weather expert - Barbara Reddin, John Fitzpatrick, Paul Gill, Terry Rowan, Dominic O'Moore, Brian Curtis, Gus Cameron, super-crew Ken Burke and many more.

The Irish Multihull Association now covers the whole country and in 1999 will celebrate 35 years of exciting catamaran sailing in Ireland.

There is so much information and there are so many stories that I have not room to include, maybe someone should write a book. Did you hear the one about the cat sailor (still sailing) who sank the hundred year old wooden Tall Ship in Dun Laoghaire Harbour? - On second thoughts forget the book, maybe the stories might not be that accurate. See Part 2 in the next Newsletter

Continued in Part 2.

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