Design and Construction
Each Dazcat 1295 is hand built in Cornwall as a composite structure, with internal finishing carefully hand-faired by skilled craftsmen anchor. The builder, Multimarine Manufacturing Ltd, fitted carbon parts including the beam, bulkheads, rudders, dagger boards, bimini, and spinnaker pole, and carbon trim runs throughout to keep weights down and eliminate un-needed components. Hulls carry Coppercoat bottoms that the builder describes as letting the defining hulls slip along effortlessly. Twin carbon dagger boards and carbon rudders give the boat its foils, and the rudders are driven by cable steering to twin carbon wheels with fingertip responsive steering. The boat is offered either as a production vessel or tailored to the client’s requirements, which means no two need be finished identically.
Rig and Handling
The Dazcat 1295 sports a spreaderless in-house chimney mast, and the sail plan is powered by 3di North Sails with an imposing square top on the mainsail that adds to the power of the sail plan. A self-tacking jib option exists, and all lines run back to the helm for ease of sail handling and shorthanded sailing. Deck gear from Lewmar, Spinlock and Harken is selected to handle the loads. Writing in Multihulls World, tester Françoise Trégouet described the helm as the smoothest, most responsive and most sensitive she had ever had between her fingers on a catamaran anchor. The centralised Nanni 21hp shaft-driven motors, paired as two units, optimise weight distribution for comfort and performance, and the boat carries UK CA Marking CAT A.
Performance
The design has a reputation for excellent performance in light airs, and the evidence is practical rather than theoretical. Under gennaker, just a little trickle of air is enough to propel the 1295 at nearly 8 knots. One owner-reported passage saw the boat lift a hull and accelerate away at 12 knots in 12 knots of true wind. On the racecourse the class is a three-time winner of the RORC Season’s Points Championships Multihulls Class, and in 2025 came both first and second. The named boat Slinky Malinki took fourth in class at the 2019 Fastnet, won the RORC Myth of Malham that year, and won first place in the RORC Season’s Championships for Multihulls in 2021.
Accommodations
Inside, the Dazcat 1295 provides three double cabins with a central galley in the starboard hull, plus saloon seating and a table that convert to a day bed or fourth double, giving 6 to 7 berths. The starboard hull houses the galley and two double cabins fore and aft; the galley placement minimises motion for easier use and reduced chance of motion sickness, and it now has drop down locker lids outboard that create a practical drink station. The two aft cabins boast new shelving and a vanity unit in deep, rich walnut. The port hull has a matching aft cabin and large outboard storage with drop down surfaces, while forward is an airy head with basin, electric flush head and shower, where the black tank is also fitted and full 1.95m headroom is present. The saloon and nav area beckons with bright 360 views and natural light, the nav station on the port side kitted with B&G equipment, and the in-house polystone galley and heads worktops complete the interior. Hull headroom is 2m and bridgedeck headroom 1.95m.
The Verdict
The Dazcat 1295 is a thoroughly modern cruiser-racer catamaran that earns its results through light weight, carbon structure, and a helm character praised by professional testers. It is a boat built to order as easily as to spec, and its racing record sits comfortably alongside a thoughtful, motion-conscious interior.
Pros
- Slender 13-to-1 hull beam ratio with Coppercoat bottoms and carbon foils for efficient, quiet passage
- Spreaderless chimney mast with 3di North Sails and all lines led to the helm for shorthanded ease
- Helm judged by a Multihulls World tester as the smoothest and most sensitive on any catamaran tried
- Three double cabins plus convertible saloon, central galley placed to minimise motion sickness
- Proven offshore record: RORC class championships and Fastnet class placement
Cons
- Centralised twin Nanni diesels and bespoke systems demand a buyer comfortable with tailored commissioning
- As a 2017-launched design, fewer secondhand hulls exist than older mass-market catamarans
