Design and Construction
Tom Wylie's sleek cat-rigged boat was designed emphasizing simplicity and ease of handling, and the hull reflects that philosophy in its proportions. The hull form features good form stability, with short ends and moderate beam, a 25-foot waterline inside a 30 feet 5 inches overall length, and a fin keel carrying external lead. The builder cites a high ballast ratio and exceptional form stability as what makes the design a joy to sail in any wind condition, and the review record notes a high ballast-to-displacement ratio for stiffness. Construction is solid fiberglass with unidirectional roving over PVC and balsa coring, and the boat is engineered and constructed according to American Bureau of Shipping specifications.
Rig and Handling
The rig is the heart of the Wyliecat idea. It is unstayed with a wishbone boom, needing no vang or traveller, and the only lines are a 2:1 mainsheet, halyard, reef line, topping lift, and choker. A 46-foot carbon-fiber mast was designed to bend, allowing the top of the sail to depower as wind increases, and the result is a simple and effective self-reefing system that lets almost anyone sail the boat. With a 100 percent sail area of 400 square feet and an actual area near 530 with roach and luff round, the cat rig drives a light hull — Perry's review calls this an ideal singlehander able to get underway in less than three minutes.
Accommodations
Below, the accommodations are complete enough for weekend cruising. There is a double berth aft and a large double forward, with an enclosed head separating the sleeping spaces. The layout is compact but functional, trading the volume of a conventional sloop's interior for the openness the single large sail and unstayed mast permit.
The Verdict
The Wyliecat 30 succeeds as a minimalist performance cruiser: a cat rig that depowers itself, a hull stiff enough to stay comfortable, and a belowdecks plan that supports short coastal trips without pretense. Its appeal is to the sailor who values getting underway fast over carrying a locker full of gear.
Pros
- Unstayed wishbone cat rig with self-reefing depower and only five control lines
- High ballast ratio and form stability for a stiff, forgiving ride
- Quick to launch and singlehand friendly, underway in under three minutes
- ABS-spec construction with solid glass and cored structure
Cons
- Cat rig limits downwind and light-air sail options versus a sloop
- Compact interior suited to weekends rather than liveaboard use
