Alpha, winner of the 2007 International C-Class Catamaran Championship, is constructed from lightweight carbon fibre and carries an adjustable-camber hardsail (wingsail). This project included the design of Rocker, the world's first hydrofoil C-Class cat. Rocker also entered the competition, and though spectacular, it was not able to match the 20+ knot pace of Alpha.

The C-Class rules leave ample room for imagination. Make a symmetrical catamaran that fits into a box 25 feet long, 14 feet wide, stick on 300 square feet of sail area and you will be legal. Any kind of sail, any hull shape, any weight, any material. A designer’s dream.

The boat was sailed by project leader/skipper Fred Eaton, and wingman Magnus Clarke. While I was the chief designer, Fred and Magnus both played significant roles on the design team and that improved their understanding of the boat while sailing.

In any race victory there are a host of small factors that combine to produce success. In our opinion, the biggest factors that led to our win in the C-Class Championships were our lower overall weight (the lightest C-Class ever built at 360 lbs. ready to sail), our high aspect ratio, thin foil section hardsail and the crew’s opportunity to spend more time on the water leading up to the event. The latter gave them an edge in boat handling and racecourse tactics, which played a significant part in the result.