Start your Boat plans: THE POGO CAT: TS 42

No, it is not made by Structures the shipyard that makes Pogo but I am not the only one to see the similarity in what regards the concept: A shipyard specialized on racing boats (Marsaudon composites), a cruising boat designed almost as a racing boat with a spartan interior that allows a relatively low price for this type of boat and performance.

I like it a lot, a design by Cristophe Barreau, a specialist in cats, the designer of the Outremer 49 and 45 also of many Catana, has a different approach on this design that is more radical than the Outremer 45, starting with beam that is fundamental for the power of a cat: 7.39m for this one against 7.1m on the Outremer 45 that is a bigger boat with 13.77m against 13.06m (LOA).

The Outremer 45 weights 8.7T and the TS42 5.8T, a huge difference that is reflected on the needed sail area: 110m2 wit jib, 159m2 with the gennaker for the Outremer, 89.4m2 with a self tacking jib, 126m2 with the gennaker for the TS 42.

The boat is not a carbon one but a top Eglass, using infusion, cored hulls and decks (PVC as core), aluminium boom and mast. The interior is very simple but functional and comfortable in a zen kind of way.

For reducing costs and to make it simpler the TS 42 has fixed keels but I would be very curious to see a comparative test sail of the two boats, on the water, and I am not sure that the Outremer would be faster, but I am absolutely sure that the TS 42 is much more affordable: It costs about 336 000 euros without VAT, the Outremer 45 also without VAT costs 470 000 euros.

Of course these prices refer to basic boats, a well equipped boat will cost substantially more and that's the problems with Cats. Even the less expensive TS42, with the European Tax and some extras will cost 450/500 000 euros, much more than a Pogo 12.50 that costs less than 300 000 euros, with Tax and full equipped.

But the TS42 will cost a lot less than a Pogo 50 that costs more than 600 000 euros and I am not sure that if I had the 600 000 euros to give for a performance cruiser I would choose the Pogo 50 over the TS 42, probably not.

The Pogo 12.50 will make about the same thing as the TS42 boat, with the same or more seaworthiness and it will cost much less even sailing a bit slower and regarding that it will depend on whether the boat is racing or cruising. The TS42 will be certainly a blast but it will need a lot of attention to go really fast, not a thing that I would like to do on autopilot or solo, at least with strong winds.

There are a lot more sailors with 300 000 euros to give for a performance cruiser than the ones that can give the extra 150 000 to have the TS42 and that's a shame because the TS42 looks awesome and should sail like a dream. I am sure that the Pogo 12.50 will remain a very popular boat while the TS42 will be a much more exclusive sailboat, but I sure would love to have one ;-)