Its wave-piercing bows, visually similar to those of an AC72, signal an intent to slice rather than slam through chop. Overall, the boat is a modern, family-friendly interpretation of the beach cat rather than a stripped-out racing machine.
Design and Construction
The RS Cat 16 measures 15 feet 6 inches overall, with a beam of 7 feet 9 inches, a draft of 1 foot 5 inches, and an all-up weight of 308 pounds. Every version uses the same rotomolded hulls and a fully modular platform. Just eight bolts secure the sturdy extruded-aluminum crossbeams, so the boat can be taken apart with a wrench for storage or transport on top of an SUV.
RS Sailing, a veteran UK dinghy builder, built the boat in Hampshire. This construction keeps the platform light and makes it easy to own and transport. The twin aluminum rudders have a “lift and lock” feature, allowing them to be raised or lowered in seconds when coming ashore. It’s a setup intended for beach-cat use rather than marina life.
Rig Options
The RS Cat 16 has a one-piece rotating Seldén aluminum mast and no boom. A loose-footed mainsail is standard across all three variants:
- Club: Mainsail only.
- S: Jib and single trapeze, aimed at juniors and families. A gennaker is optional.
- XL: Dual trapezes and a gennaker launched from a sock and flown from a substantial sprit, intended for more experienced sailors.
The boat carries 133 square feet of working sail, including the 25 square foot jib, plus a 138 square foot A-sail. With 250 pounds of crew, its SA/D ratio is 31 and its D/L ratio is 67. Those figures help explain the lively but balanced feel described by testers.
Sailing and Handling
Writing for sailmagazine.com, a tester found the helm solid and responsive at every wind angle. The boat locked easily onto a heading and remained balanced, yet could still pirouette on a dime when maneuvering.
In light wind that rarely topped 10 knots, reaching back and forth was an absolute blast. Even under main and jib alone, the wave-piercing bows left laser-straight wakes. Hoisting the A-sail sharpened both the wake and the piercing action.
SAIL’s Best Boats 2014 described the RS Cat 16 as remarkably stiff under sail and an absolute gas, with twin wakes streaming aft.
Cockpit and Crew Space
There are no cabins or berths; this is strictly a dayboat. The tops of the two hulls are concave, giving the crew more comfortable places to sit. A substantial carbon-fiber tiller extension lets the crew hike or use the trapeze without fighting the helm.
Variants and Ownership
The three-version range allows the same hull platform to serve as a club trainer, family dayboat, or more spirited trapeze-and-gennaker boat. Because every version shares the same rotomolded hulls and eight-bolt crossbeam system, the platform is simple to reconfigure between rigs.
The modular construction also keeps off-season storage inexpensive. With a 1 foot 5 inch draft and 308-pound all-up weight, the boat can be managed by two people without a travel lift.
The Verdict
The RS Cat 16 is a modern beach cat that combines approachable handling with speed. Its wave-piercing bows and rotomolded modular hulls make it a practical, transportable platform, while the S and XL rigs let owners move from family sailing with a jib and single trapeze to dual-trapeze sailing under gennaker.
Testers found the boat stiff, balanced, and quick to maneuver. Its straightforward, eight-bolt platform also makes it easy to dismantle for transport or storage.
Pros
- Modular rotomolded hulls secured by eight bolts for quick disassembly and SUV transport
- Wave-piercing bows that cut effectively through wakes and chop
- Three variants, from the mainsail-only Club to the dual-trapeze XL with gennaker
- Solid, responsive helm that balances easily but still pivots tightly
Cons
- The rotating rig has no boom, which limits certain sail-handling habits
- The beach-cat draft and rudder arrangement assume shoreline launching rather than marina berthing
