In the Kiwi sailing world, there are a handful of evergreen designs; ones that got it so right that they’ve stood the test of time. The Starling dinghy, the Noelex 22, and the Farr 727 come to mind; but the one I have the most affection for is a wee catamaran known as the Paper Tiger.
I noted the design when I was 20ish but didn’t get to sail one until I was 46; I mildly regret that delay, and from here on I’ll sail one until I can’t. Given that I’ve been putting most of my sheddie effort into my own Paper Tiger lately, it seemed an obvious topic for this issue’s column.
History
Designed in 1966-8, reputedly on a beer coaster, and aimed at beating the then-formidable Javelin, the PT’s simple lines, DIY-compatible construction, development potential, and speed per buck have seen it outlive almost all its contemporaries and grow well past 3000 in sail numbers.
The single-chine 14-foot (4.26m) hulls were initially built of plywood, but lightweight plys are getting harder to come by and recent hulls are typically constructed of carbon/foam/carbon sandwich. The two cross-beams that connect the hulls are simple 50x50mm alloy box sections, between which a small trampoline stretches. There is one six-metre mast, one fully battened sail, and one person aboard.
Class rules
Something that contributes to the Paper Tiger’s longevity/popularity is that the class rules are not prescriptive; if it’s not disallowed,
