This Skua was built in the UK but is seen here sailing in Holland, and below, sailing across the North Sea

Note the fore/aft beam which helps stiffen the front netting beam

 

The owner reported "The boat has reached the speeds that you predicted, twelve knots to windward and twenty knots offwind"

This Skua sailing in the S Pacific has an optional removable cuddy

and a square top mainsail. The owner reported "I send you photos of a Skua which I have built in foam in New-Caledonia. I put on a little cuddy. The total weight is about 900 kilos. The mast is about 13 meters length. The centerboards are about 30 centimeters longer. The speed is a little superior to the Great Barrier Express and the Turissimo (designer Malcolm Tennant)."

 

This German Skua sailed to the Caribbean, seen here in the Canaries prior to sailing the Atlantic in 2002/3. Frank coasthopped from Hamburg, across the Bay of Biscay and down the Spanish coast. Then he sailed across to Morocco, the Canaries and Cape Verde islands.

Out for  a day sail with lots of people and plenty of room. Note, this boat had second hand sails. Owner Frank "we had a fantastic crossing of Bay of Biscay, 49 hours from Audierne/France to Cedeira/Spain".

The 2100 miles from Cape Verdes to Barbados took only 13 1/2 days. Frank then sailed up through the West Indies to the Bahamas Cuba and Jamaica where sadly he had to stop sailing, ship the boat home and go back to work.

Photos below are of me sailing the boat in Bequia WI after crossing the Atlantic

 

Although this trip proved the seaworthiness of the design and should give anyone contemplating building a Skua a lot more confidence most of the credit for this voyage is due to Frank. He is a very experienced, tough sailor. He had earlier sailed a Hobie Cat round Denmark, so a Skua must have felt like luxury.

 

This is a owner modified foam sandwich Skua. The owner wrote "Having lot's of fun with our new boat, great design, Richard!!"

You can see more here

http://mccannyachts.smugmug.com/Boats/Zbiggy-Custom-Catamaran/23434353_fPXqRz/1893221667_GQ5WNkc#!i=1893238400&k=kPSD5LJ

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sqsry1v8d18v9np/2012-09-29%2011.29.06.mov