Design Philosophy

It is no doubt the philosophy of a good design to find the optimum focus for each individual use. Extremes in one direction always contain drawbacks in another direction. The challenge is to harmonize all the requirements in a sensible and practicable way.

Multihulls that sail well depend on their lightness. Today, lightweight construction suggests nearly always exotic materials and therefore high prices – heavy materials replaced by lightweight materials, glass by carbon fibre. Serious development usually results from changing ways of looking at things. The most impressive feature of the modern Wally designs for example is their spartan clarity.

„In a good construction there is nothing left that you can do without“

is the dictum of FORMATsystem. All the designs are structurally subject to the same criteria: long waterlines – for more speed, plenty of buoyancy reserve in the bow sections – for safe sailing in rough sea conditions, above average bridge clearance – for comfortable sailing.

Basic constructions

The basic constructions demonstrate the style, show the dimensions and allow a price calculation. With this concept any of the owner's individual options can be realized quickly and flexibly. On this basis even substantial changes or new designs are possible at short notice.

Sandwich

Sandwich has the best thermal insulation, is extremely stiff and very light.

The first FORMAT cat – now over twenty years old – was based on a construction created by Derek Kelsall from the UK. His simple building method was extremely impressive. Today Kellsall is regarded as the father and pioneer of the sandwich technology in ship-building.

The FORMAT catamarans are unsinkable due to their full sandwich construction. Its specific gravitiy is 0.30 – 0.40 (plywood 0.50 – 0.80; solid laminate 1.45 – 1.65). In each version, collision bulkheads form a watertight separation between the living area and the bow and the stern sections respectively. The bows are designed as crash boxes, i.e. they are produced from a thick package of foam for extra safety. The keel areas are made from solid laminate in order to absorb high punctual pressures (e.g. through stones when falling dry).