Design and Construction
What sets the 1195 apart structurally begins with weight. All Dazcats are around half the mass of a standard production catamaran, and the 1195 achieves a lightship figure of 4,500 kg against a maximum loaded weight of 7,500 kg, with a lightship-to-beam ratio of 10:1. The hulls are built from multi-axial and uni-directional aramid and glass fabrics vacuum-bagged around a PVC foam core, with carbon added in high-stress zones such as the bridgedeck and beam bulkheads. The builder's own material list cites PVC, glass, and carbon throughout. Newton worked deliberately to pull weight out of the ends to suppress pitching, and the hull and accommodation structure is so stiff that the boat needs no crossbeam. With a capsize screening ratio of 3.97 and RCD Category A certification, the platform is engineered for serious offshore work rather than coastal pottering.
Rig and Handling
The 1195 is a fractional sloop carrying 882 square feet of sail area and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 27, with an aluminum mast and stainless wire rigging standard and a carbon mast offered as an option. A test sail described a big square-top Banks Sails main and self-tacking jib, later supplemented by a screecher on a continuous-line Karver furler set from a fixed carbon sprit. In 10 knots of breeze on a close reach the boat topped 6 knots, and once the screecher filled she hummed along at 8-plus knots with a sweet helm; she came about as effortlessly as a lightweight monohull. High-aspect carbon daggerboards are worked by a simple tackle, and twin helm stations sit well inboard to keep crew weight centered. The easily singlehanded rig and cable steering make her manageable short-handed, while the cockpit is enclosed by bulwarks on all four sides for security offshore.
Accommodations
This is not a charter queen. The 1195 deliberately avoids the opulent interiors of its more charter-oriented brethren, yet it sleeps seven with standing headroom in both hulls and on the bridge deck. Each hull carries a double cabin aft, a narrow berth lies forward to starboard, and a head with shower sits to port. The saloon holds a fore-and-aft table, with the nav station to port—fitted with Raymarine on the test boat and B&G available as an option—and the galley lower in the starboard hull. There are no forward lounging cockpits; the emphasis is on sailing utility and family-cruise practicality rather than lounging space.
Performance Brief
The 1195's brief spans racing inshore or offshore, local cruising, and bluewater passage-making, singlehanded or with family. One review called her a coastal cruiser, offshore racing machine, and performance bluewater cruiser in one, and a great light-air daysailer despite her size. The hull Rock Steady was launched in 2010, later sold to a French syndicate and race-prepped with VPLP naval architects' sign-off, showing how far the platform can be taken.
Refits and Ownership
Multimarine has previously offered the 1195 as a structurally complete hull for owner finishing, a path that explains some variation in used boats. Rock Steady, launched in 2010 and gently cruised on the UK West Coast before her 2018 French sale, illustrates the spectrum from leisure cruiser to approved racer. Twin Nanni 14 hp diesels provide auxiliary power, and the choice of rig height and material lets an owner bias the boat toward cruising or racing.
The Verdict
The Dazcat 1195 is a rare thing: a true cruising catamaran capable of competitive racing, built light yet certified for offshore class-A service. She rewards sailors who want speed and sea-keeping without the bulk and opulence of the charter mainstream, and her race record proves the design brief is real rather than marketing.
Pros
- Around half the weight of a standard production catamaran with carbon-reinforced structure
- Verified offshore race participation including Fastnet and Round Britain and Ireland
- Easily singlehanded rig with strong light-air performance over 8 knots under screecher
- Seven berths with standing headroom and RCD Category A certification
Cons
- Accommodations are deliberately modest compared with charter-oriented cats
- No forward lounging cockpits, limiting relaxed deck social space
