SCHIONNING ARROW 1360 - A catamaran designed for amateur construction

Wolfgang Koch is passionate about anything that sails on two or three hulls. For a long time, he was president of the German cruising catamaran association, but it was in Switzerland that he discovered the Ocean Youth Sailing project: the building of Vellamo, an Arrow 1360 catamaran, designed for amateur construction. Here he gives us his first impressions of the boat under sail.

Test location: Bottighofen, Lake Constance, Switzerland
Weather conditions: 5 to 10 knots of wind. Calm.

I got the chance to sail Vellamo alongside the men and women involved in building the boat. I’d been invited to come to Bottighofen, Switzerland, on lake Constance. The arrival of the catamaran in port, coming back in from another seatrial in the morning, was very unusual. Driven by the two electric motors, there was no smell of diesel, nor exhaust fumes to see as the boat glided alongside! The docking maneuver was very elegant and smooth, typical for a twin-engined catamaran, even though the man at the helm was not that experienced. Using both motors, Vellamo pivoted on the spot without any problems. The conditions were smooth with very little wind, but still, the small harbor is quite narrow…It was a beautiful and sunny day in late fall, with a crisp wind blowing. Temperatures were cool in the shade, but the bright sun warmed our backs. We had a little snack and after the morning guests departed, we left the dock and headed out of the harbor.
The first thing that struck me about this boat: The workmanship is really professional, and the finish is amazing. Construction wa...