[PCW] Multihull history

[Georgs Kolesnikovs]

Slightly off-topic as it involves sailing multihulls . . . but there 
is an interesting explanation in The Detroit Free Press of what might 
happen to the America's Cup in 2009:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071206/SPORTS10/71206033/0/section?Category=ENT03

The report contains this historical capsule:

>But multihulls are nothing new. Pacific islanders thousands of years 
>ago sailed them across vast distances to populate Polynesia and 
>Micronesia. In 1662, a 20-foot British catamaran hit the 
>then-amazing speed of 17 knots.
>
>The most famous American catamaran after the Hobie boats is probably 
>Amaryllis, a 25-footer that the country's leading yacht designer, 
>Nathaniel Herreshoff, entered in a New York Yacht Club race in 1876. 
>A contemporary account said no one protested "the outlandish craft" 
>before the race "because no one thought she could win." But 
>Amaryllis won handily, coming from behind to rip past the leaders 
>after sandbagging near the rear for most of the race.
>
>The NYYC responded as authority usually does when its nose is 
>tweaked - it banned multihulls from its races. Since designers like 
>Herreshoff made their living drawing boats for people like members 
>of the NYYC, they lost interest in multihulls, which remained the 
>purview of a few iconoclasts and cranks until Hobie Alter came up 
>with his wonderful little beach boat 100 years later.

Which brings me to the point:

What do you know about the history of power catamarans and trimarans? 
What was the first power cat?

--Georgs
-- 
Georgs Kolesnikovs
   Power Catamaran World
   http://www.powercatamaranworld.com