Design and Construction
The 1190’s hull is resin-infused with a foam core, and the cored deck is vacuum-bagged, a modern composite approach that keeps structure light. Carbon appears in the crossbeam and arch layup to add stiffness and shed pounds, and fiber standing rigging replaces wire aloft. Rather than stub keels, the design uses daggerboards to keep the hulls slippery, and twin 20-horsepower outboards stand in for the heavier 30-horsepower Yanmars and saildrives found on the cruising sibling. Those outboards tilt up while sailing to eliminate drag entirely. The displacement-to-length ratio of 136 and the overall intent to be sportier than the 1160 mark a deliberate shift in character for the marque’s mid-size cat.
Rig and Handling
A taller double-spreader rig carries a square-top main, and a self-tending working jib makes tacking upwind a simple matter. A carbon-fiber sprit comes standard and can fly either a screecher or spinnaker. In barely 3 knots of wind that stirred little more than a ripple, test sailors coaxed the speedo to 2.5 knots, a telling measure of how readily the lightened hull and rig respond. Twin wheels sit to either side of the cockpit for clear sightlines, and top-quality hardware from Lewmar and B&G is used throughout, with Doyle supplying the sails.
Accommodations
Seawind remains one of the few production cat builders using a galley-down arrangement, and on the 1190 the galley sits amidships in the starboard hull with stove, fridge, sinks, and storage, lit by a hull portlight. The interior is laid out for extended voyaging, with cabins fore and aft in each hull; to port the owner’s cabin is forward with an athwartship bunk, while the aft port hull holds a head and shower that judges called the best they saw at the show. A second head in the starboard hull is optional. Forward sightlines through removable tempered-glass windows are excellent, and Seawind’s trademark trifold door lifts away and stows under the cockpit bimini to open the saloon to the breeze.
Known Issues
The judges’ only nit with the 1190 was that fuel hoses from the gasoline tank to the engine were not up to U.S. specs, a point worth correcting on any U.S.-bound example.
The Verdict
The Seawind 1190 is a thoughtfully lightened cat that trades some cruising ballast for real sailing sparkle. Its daggerboards, carbon-reinforced structure, and outboard simplicity yield a boat that is easy to handle and quick to accelerate, while the galley-down layout preserves the long-range living space Seawind owners expect. The single documented caveat is a fuel-hose specification gap on U.S. deliveries.
Pros
- About 1,300 pounds lighter than the 1160 with carbon in crossbeam and arch
- Daggerboards and tilting outboards cut drag; fiber rigging saves aloft weight
- Galley-down layout with owner’s athwartship bunk and show-best aft head
- Square-top main, self-tending jib, standard carbon sprit for screecher or spinnaker
Cons
- Fuel hoses to the engine not to U.S. specs per judging panel
- Outboard power and gasoline fuel demand different upkeep thinking than diesel-inboard cats
