Sail Port Stephens Debuts Cat Division With Lagoon, Seawind, Corsair Fleet

Light north-easterlies and autumn sun gave Sail Port Stephens exactly the kind of first day that showed why the new Cat Division matters. For the first time, multihull sailors had their own place in the Super Series, and the lineup at Regatta HQ at d’Albora Marina Nelson Bay was broad enough to make the point quickly: a Lagoon 450, four Seawind cats and four performance Corsair trimarans all shared the same course.

That mix is the story. Rather than splitting cruising cats from faster tris into separate showcases, the regatta folded them into one multihull division under Australian Sailing Category 5 safety rules, giving club and regional racers a race environment where turnout, visibility and competition all lined up. Sail Port Stephens said the 2026 event remained Australia’s largest sailing regatta, with more than 300 boats and thousands of sailors, spectators and supporters expected across the series, and the Cat Division gave multihull owners a clearer reason to make the trip to Port Stephens.

The day also exposed the performance divide in a way cat and tri sailors will recognise immediately. The lighter Corsairs looked at home in the conditions, with the boats’ speed and handling giving the class a strong platform against heavier cruising cats. Australian Sailing had expected five Corsair tris on the start line, alongside the Seawinds, the Lagoon 450F and other multihulls, so the field already had enough depth to make the racing meaningful rather than symbolic.

Michael Meehan’s Multihull Central Starship, a Corsair 760R, delivered the sharpest result of the day. Meehan and two crew took PHS honours in the Cat Division and finished second over the line behind Three Sum, a Corsair 880 Sport. Meehan’s benchmark for the boat also explains why the lighter tris drew attention: in about 20 knots of breeze, the Corsairs can do around 12 knots upwind and 17 to 18 knots downwind, and he is comfortable sailing the 760R with a full rig in 20 to 25 knots.

That is the practical value of the new class. It gave mixed multihulls a common proving ground at a major regional regatta, while showing racers where the racing sits best for their own boats. For sailors deciding whether to tow, berth or campaign a catamaran at a club or coastal event, Sail Port Stephens made the case plainly: a well-run division with enough variety to reward both cruising cats and quick tris can turn a good entry list into a real multihull race scene.