Shearwater III

The Shearwater III is a type of two crew racing catamaran, produced originally by G. Prout & Sons of Canvey Island, Essex, and was first sold in kit form. It is a "restricted development class".[3] According to the UK's National Maritime Museum, The Shearwater III was the world’s first production catamaran.[1]

Shearwater III
Development
DesignerFrancis & Roland Prout
LocationCanvey Isand, Essex, UK
Year1956
No. built2000+[1]
Builder(s)Prout & Sons, Fairey Marine
Boat
Crew2
Boat weight120 kg (260 lb)
TrapezeTwin allowed
Hull
General2
TypeCatamaran Twin Centreboard
ConstructionWood / Fibreglass / Composite / Carbon Fibre[2]
LOH5.03 m (16.5 ft)
LWL4.82 m (15.8 ft)
Beam2.29 m (7.5 ft)
Hull draft0.91 m (3.0 ft)  min
0.18 m (0.59 ft)  max
Hull appendages
Keel/board typeTwin pivoting centreboards
Rudder(s)Twin drop rudders
Rig
GeneralFractional Sloop (Rotating Spar)
Sails
SailplanBermudian Sloop
Other sailsSpinnaker introduced 1972
Upwind sail area14.86 m2 (160.0 sq ft)

Brothers Francis and Roland Prout were canoeists who took part in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. They worked in the family firm G. Prout & Sons Ltd, with their father, making folding canoes and dingies. They developed their first catamaran, the Shearwater I in the early 1950s. Initiallly they experimentally lashed together two K1 kayaks and added a bamboo platform and a mast and sail, and after the success of this went on to build the Shearwater I, in which they participated in local regattas. They then developed the Shearwater III.[4][5]

Shearwaters regularly field at least 15 entries at National Championships since 1998.[2]

  • Shearwater Catamaran - The home of the First Racing Catamaran Class Shearwater Class Association
  • Moorwood, John (ed.). "The A.Y.R.S. and Multihulled Craft" (pdf). Catamarans. A.Y.R.S Publications. 1958 (22): 8 et seq.

References
  1. Loveland, Graham. "Shearwater catamaran "Yellow Bird" – BC16". National Maritime Museum. National Maritime Museum. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  2. "Shearwater". Shearwater. Yachts and Yachting. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  3. "SHEARWATER III". SailboatData.com. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  4. "Prout Catamarans - a History". Katamarans. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  5. McCave, Fred. "The Prout Story". CanveyIsland.org. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
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