Design and Construction
Roland's 5.2 is built predominantly of fiberglass with an emphasis on lightweight construction, the 350-pound displacement keeping the platform agile and easy to trailer anchor. The symmetrical hulls carry plumb stems and reverse transoms, with transom-hung fiberglass rudders on a tiller and retractable fiberglass daggerboards that draw 2.5 feet down or just six inches retracted for beaching and road transport anchor. Period testers noted the hulls are wide at the bottom and narrow at the top to create extra buoyancy, a shape that supports a low center of effort despite the rig's high aspect ratio anchor.
Rig and Handling
The 5.2 is a twin-daggerboard, fractional sloop with a rotating mast of anodized aluminum spars and a full-battened mainsail carrying nine battens as a typical configuration anchor. On-water shroud-tension adjusters let the crew tune the rig afloat, and the combination of daggerboards with the rotating wing mast gives excellent upwind pointing anchor. The design emphasizes low wetted surface when flying a hull, responsive handling, and a lively feel, with planing and surfing potential downwind that suits moderate-wind one-design racing anchor. The Portsmouth Yardstick average of 72.0 places the boat firmly in the club-racing conversation, and it is normally sailed by two, using trapezes to balance the rig.
Accommodations
As an American catamaran sailing dinghy of 17 feet overall and 8 feet beam, the 5.2 is a recreational sailboat built for 1–2 crew rather than cabin accommodation anchor. There is no enclosed interior; the platform is a trapeze-equipped dayboat intended for beach launching, club racing, and recreational sailing, with the trampoline spanning the hulls as the working deck.
The Verdict
The Nacra 5.2 endures as a benchmark entry-level one-design cat that established a marque. Its lightweight fiberglass hulls, rotating fractional rig, and daggerboards deliver the upwind bite and downwind rush that define classic beach-cat sailing, while the retractable boards make it a practical trailer-sailer. A 2600-boat production run and fleets across Australia, Europe, Japan, and the United States by 1994 speak to a design that still rewards a new owner with vintage-class camaraderie.
Pros
- Lightweight 350 lb fiberglass construction for easy trailing and beach launching
- Twin daggerboards and rotating mast give excellent upwind pointing
- Full-batten main with on-water shroud adjustment for tuning
- Large one-design fleet history with vintage racing still active
Cons
- Minimal amenities; pure dayboat with no cabin or creature comforts
- Superseded in the product line by the Nacra 5.5 from 1979 onward
