---

	ABOUT SAYRA About SAYRA How to Join Georgia Clubs North Carolina Clubs South Carolina Clubs Contacts	CALENDARS SAYRA Cal. US Champs Junior Series High School	HELEN HANLEY MEM. FUND Training Grant Championship Grant
NEWS What's New From our Commodore Meet a SAYRA Sailor	RACING One Design PHRF Championships Race Management Sailors & Judges	JUNIORS Juniors High School Training	EDUCATION Training Judges Race Management Sailors with special needs

---

Isotope Catamaran - Sailing Fast, Having Fun Since 1964

The Isotope predates many other popular catamarans, but its forward-thinking design and open development rules make it the world's fastest single-handed 16-foot sloop-rig catamaran according to the US Portsmouth Yardstick. Designed by Frank Meldau, and still built locally by Custom Fiberglass International, the Isotopes are sailed worldwide, with boats in the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

With symmetric hulls, pivoting centerboards, and balanced 185 sq.ft. sail plan, the Isotope is an excellent learning platform as well as an affordable, high-tech, high performance racing cat. It has a nicely balanced helm and outpoints most other catamarans.

The Isotope was originally designed for double handed sailing on inland lakes in a moderate breeze of 7-8kts. It excels in light air, moving in 1kt of wind, and flying a hull in 5kts. Winds up to 15kts are controllable sailing singlehanded; 2-up in 18kts is a blast.

Weighing in at 275lbs all-up, the Isotope    can be launched, rigged, sailed, righted, and de-trailer, and simply roll the boat into the water.

The Isotope comes with race-optimized rigging, including a single trapeze, main downhaul and outhaul, traveler, mast rotation limiter, furling jib, and barber outhauls. A front compression bar and short jib bridle give the boat an efficient sailplan with a low center of effort. Choose between "Rabbit-ear" and "hot-stick" tillers, with an optional "tiller return". Class-legal owner modifications include multi-purchase jib sheets, rig tensioning systems, remote steering and centerboard controls, mainsail reefing, and custom sailplan designs (limited only by total sail area). Owner inventions such as the "Howard Hook" and the "G(ene) String" have become standard equipment. Although not one-design legal, an Isotope can be fitted with an asymmetric spinnaker.

Deck hatches allow on-the-water access to copious storage in the hull and sealed flotation bags make the Isotope practically unsinkable. Kick-up centerboards and rudders allow one to tune the boat to a neutral helm and will not be damaged by an encounter with a submerged object. The swing-out righting bar enables a single person to right a capsized Isotope quickly.

Custom gel-coat graphics are the norm. Some of the more striking designs are a shark, blue whale, pirate flag, lightning bolt, waves, and rainbow.

The largest fleet is close to the manufacturer in the North Carolina piedmont area. The members are very supportive, giving rides, helping new sailors learn to rig, tune, and sail the boat, traveling together to regattas, and reparing boats. The fleet even has a local loft where sailors gather to lay out and sew their own sails.

Isotope sailing generally runs April to October in central NC. In addition to club racing, the fleet has the Peter Wolf Challenge in May, travels to regional catamaran regattas, holds a National Championship in August, and wraps up the season with the SAYRA Championship at the October Boys Regatta.

For more information, contact Fleet Captain Joleen Rasmussen at joleenrasmussen@embarqmail.com (919) 440-2801.