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Unique Sailing Catamarans from the man who invented them - Legendary Catamaran Designer James Wharram. For those interested in seaworthy boat design and development, this program documents an intimate view of the design process from legendary catamaran designer, James Wharam. James Wharram is without doubt one of the most renowned figures in the catamaran scene around the world. No other multihull designer has equivalent experience. He has designed, built and sailed catamarans for over 50 years. As a catamaran-designer, Wharram designs his boats according to the sailing canoes of the ancient Polynesians. In this program, James explains his thinking about yachts and cats and his special ideas and design details about his catamaran, "Spirit of Gaja." He discusses the philosophy of sailing and the special details which make a catamaran a real "Wharram Cat." They tell the story about the main structural parts of the boat which are only held together by ropes, saving weight by using double sheets instead of big winches. The quality of the Wharram self-built catamarans is reflected in their popularity, excellence of craftsmanship and 'sound sailing qualities'. 50 years on - with 10,000 sets of plans sold and thousands turned into proud vessels, Wharram 'Cats' can be seen in harbors across the world maintaining the highest reputation for surviving wind and wave. James Wharram - in the mid 50's, based on his research into ancient Polynesian boat design, James Wharram built the first off-shore Catamaran in Britain and sailed it out into the Atlantic. While the World's yachting community were busy dismissing such a design as a worthy sea-going vessel, James was landing his 23' 6" 'Double Hulled Canoe' in the West Indies. There he built a second 40' Polynesian style Catamaran and sailed it back to the UK, being the first to sail a catamaran across the North Atlantic. These amazing Trans-Atlantic crossings have etched the name 'James Wharram' into the annals of yachting history.