Blog · Guide · By Lenam Vela Ligera · Updated: September 2026

Catamaran or monohull for learning to sail

Stability, speed, tacking and transport: what each one offers.

In short: A catamaran such as the Topaz 12 is very stable, fast and fun, and if it capsizes, its masthead float keeps it on its side. A small monohull such as the Taz, the Topper or the Optimist teaches more directly, rigs faster and is the path to racing.

Almost everyone learns in a monohull, but catamarans are a great way to start and to progress. These are the differences worth knowing.

What does a catamaran offer?

• Stability: a very stable platform with plenty of room on the trampoline, which gives children confidence from the start.
• Speed: the hulls have little surface in contact with the water, so a catamaran is fast and great fun.
• Safety: on the Topaz cats, the sealed mast and masthead float mean that if it capsizes it lies on its side instead of turning upside down, and righting lines help to bring it back up.

What about tacking?

Many sailors believe catamarans don't tack well. On the Topaz cats, Yves Loday and Robert White's design team placed the skegs right under the mainsail, where they work like small centreboards and let the boat tack very well.

What does a monohull offer?

A small monohull such as the Taz, the Topper or the Optimist teaches very directly how a boat responds, rigs in no time and, in many cases, fits on a car roof. It is also the path to racing in classes such as the Optimist, the 420 or the ILCA.

The Topaz catamarans

Catamaran Topaz 123.65 m · 1-2 · 85 kgCatamaran Topaz 144.25 m · 1-3 · 110 kgCatamaran Topaz 164.72 m · 1-4 · 140 kg

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