Design and Construction
The Dazcat 1295 has a beam of 21.65 feet and a displacement of 7,500 kilograms, compared with a lightship weight of 5,500 kilograms. Its low-profile hull form has a length-to-waterline-beam ratio of 13 to 1, indicating the slender, efficient hulls beneath the wide bridgedeck.
Each Dazcat 1295 is hand built in Cornwall as a composite structure, with the interior carefully hand-faired by skilled craftsmen. The builder, Multimarine Manufacturing Ltd, fitted carbon components including the beam, bulkheads, rudders, dagger boards, bimini and spinnaker pole. Carbon trim runs throughout to keep weight down and eliminate unneeded components.
The hulls have Coppercoat bottoms, which the builder describes as allowing the defining hulls to slip along effortlessly. Twin carbon dagger boards and carbon rudders make up the boat’s foils. The rudders use cable steering connected to twin carbon wheels, giving fingertip-responsive control.
The boat is offered either as a production vessel or tailored to the client’s requirements, so no two examples need be finished identically.
Rig, Machinery and Handling
The Dazcat 1295 carries a spreaderless, in-house chimney mast. Its 3Di North Sails sail plan includes an imposing square-topped mainsail, adding power. A self-tacking jib is optional, and all lines lead back to the helm for easier 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.
Two centralised, shaft-driven Nanni 21hp engines optimise weight distribution for comfort and performance. The boat carries UK CA Marking CAT A.
Performance and Racing Record
The design has a reputation for excellent light-air performance, supported by practical results rather than theory alone. Under gennaker, little more than a trickle of air is enough to propel the 1295 at nearly 8 knots. On one owner-reported passage, the boat lifted a hull and accelerated to 12 knots in 12 knots of true wind.
The class is a three-time winner of the RORC Season’s Points Championships Multihulls Class. In 2025, Dazcat 1295s finished both first and second. The named boat Slinky Malinki took fourth in class in the 2019 Fastnet, won the RORC Myth of Malham that year, and took first place in the RORC Season’s Championships for Multihulls in 2021.
Accommodation
The Dazcat 1295 has three double cabins and 6 to 7 berths. Saloon seating and a table convert into either a day bed or a fourth double berth.
The starboard hull contains the central galley, with double cabins forward and aft. Placing the galley amidships minimises motion, making it easier to use and reducing the chance of motion sickness. It now has drop-down locker lids outboard that form a practical drinks station. Both aft cabins have new shelving and a vanity unit finished in deep, rich walnut.
The port hull contains a matching aft cabin and substantial outboard storage with drop-down surfaces. Forward is an airy head with a basin, electric-flush toilet and shower. The black tank is also fitted there, and the compartment has the full 1.95m of headroom.
The saloon and navigation area benefits from bright, 360-degree views and natural light. The port-side navigation station is fitted with B&G equipment, while the galley and heads have in-house polystone worktops. Headroom is 2m in the hulls and 1.95m on the bridgedeck.
The Verdict
The Dazcat 1295 is a thoroughly modern cruiser-racer catamaran. Its performance comes from light weight, extensive use of carbon and slender hulls, while its helm has drawn unusually strong praise from a professional tester. The interior is thoughtful and conscious of motion, and the boat can be built to the standard specification or tailored to its owner. Its substantial offshore racing record reinforces that dual-purpose character.
Pros
- Slender 13-to-1 hull-beam ratio, Coppercoat bottoms and carbon foils support efficient, quiet passages
- Spreaderless chimney mast, 3Di North Sails and all lines led to the helm make shorthanded sailing easier
- A Multihulls World tester judged the helm the smoothest and most sensitive she had tried on a catamaran
- Three double cabins, a convertible saloon and a central galley positioned to reduce motion sickness
- Proven offshore record, including RORC class championships and a Fastnet class placing
Cons
- Centralised twin Nanni diesels and bespoke systems demand a buyer comfortable with tailored commissioning
- As a design launched in 2017, fewer secondhand examples exist than of older mass-market catamarans
