Two award winning Catalina models debut at this year’s Sanctuary Cove Boat Show

Catalina                                                                         

Two award winning Catalina models are making their Australian debut at this year’s Show with the Catalina 445 and Catalina 355.

Exhibitor Ausail Marine Group is showcasing the Catalina 355, which won the 2011 Cruising World magazine Domestic Boat of the Year award and the Catalina 445, which was named Sail Magazine’s Best Boat 2010 and was named Best Full-Size Cruiser by Cruising World 2010.

Ausail Marine Group’s Norman Ambrose said 60 of the 445 models have already been sold in the world. The C445 has a lower profile with less freeboard and a sleeker hull shape than earlier models.

The sporty new design is designed to appeal to the cruising market and also sailors looking to race. “The new style and design features presented with the Catalina 445 were so well received, Catalina USA decided to carry those design elements forward into the Catalina 355,” he said.

This model has a low-profile cabin structure with a long waterline and moderate beam and freeboard. Interiors of both yachts are constructed of teak, hand-finished with clear varnishes. Norm Ambrose said the Australian dollar’s consistently high parity with the US dollar makes the Catalina more affordable