Dazcat history

Founded by Darren Newton (Daz) in 1988, Dazcat began life in Totnes, Devon. Daz had come to sailing via surfing, canoeing and dinghy sailing; at the age of 15 he started sailing a Hobie 16. And that was it. Even feeling that thrill for the first time he knew he was totally hooked!

Knowing his life was going to be spent in and on boats he subsequently studied boat building and design in Falmouth, and after college worked and sailed on a variety of racing trimarans and cruising cats. Inspired to build a boat for himself, wanting something fast and very sexy looking, he decided to design and build an F28 catamaran.

Once finished she won a series of races, including the Round the Isle of Wight Race which she won outright in 1989, setting a record that remained unbroken for the next four years! Impressed with this success, Bob Beggs from Performance Yachting approached Daz and his team to build a Dazcat 8m to enter in the 1994 Two-Handed Transatlantic Race. Sponsored by Clarks Shoes to promote a new range of deck shoes, Bob and Daz raced Clarks Active Air to win their class, experiencing a variety of extreme conditions including a Force 9 on the Grand Banks.

The experience of sailing in these sorts of conditions, and of pushing a boat to its limits – and finding out what those are – is essential for the development of robust designs. As well as being a great adventure! For the Dazcat team – owners, builders and sailors – it is building and then sailing the boats which inspires them, and which informs the development of their designs.

Dazcat had moved to Millbrook, Cornwall in 1993, which gave scope for expansion. Since then a range of Dazcat designs have been built for private owners. Interestingly, many of our clients have an engineering background. Tom Bligh was head of Cambridge University's Faculty of Engineering when he and his wife Nigel commissioned a 14m Dazcat, Lady Bounty. They chose to get involved with the project, contributing some great ideas and making some fantastic parts for the boat. Another, Tony Cotton, retired from flying jets for BA. When he commissioned his Dazcat 10m he told us he was a cruising man. All the cruising kit was fitted, and then he got the racing bug, entered the Round Britain Race and won his class! In the lap of luxury!

If you are looking for your own dream boat and can’t find what you want, why not look at having one designed. It is not as expensive as you might think unless you go insane with gadgets, and you end up with the boat of your dreams that will stand out from the crowd.

You can contract the build or do it yourself; sets of plans are drawn up to variable specifications to suit. You can hire hull moulds, or make or buy complete mouldings to give you a head start. Over the years we have experimented with most forms of construction and will specify the one that suits your project best. If you need some technical help we can offer that too.

Dazcat designs include all kinds of different boats for racing, cruising, sail or power. Existing designs can be modified to suit your needs, or we can draw up something specially for you. One of the most exciting new projects we have underway at present is a range of offshore blue water cruising power cats, designed for private owner and charter groups. Another is our new Voyager, capable of going where other cats fear to get their feet wet.

Why choose a multihull?

Dazcat design philosophy