Quick Stats

Designer: Nic Bailey

Builder: Multimarine

Year Built: 2002

Hull Type: Carbon Fiber Catamaran

Rig Type: Marconi Rig Sloop

LOA: 58’

Beam: 27’

Draft: 3.7’

Displacement: 15 Tons

Cabins: 4

Engines: 2 Volvo Penta D2-75/150S marine diesel engines

The Racetrack

The primary concept of the boat is defined by the ‘racetrack’ which runs around the perimeter of the bridge deck house. It rises gently towards the bow, and is protected by a hollow bulwark that also provides stowage for fenders. This cardinal feature allows a sailor in a wheelchair to move freely from bow to stern around the boat. At the aft end, the bulwark widens out to provide an outside helm position on both sides of the stern.

The House

Typically, the boat is handled from inside the bridge deck house. This forward helm position is in front of the mast and behind a curved, laminated, toughened, solar reflecting glass, windscreen. Sailors can choose to stay in their own chair or transfer into one of the helm seats. These seats are mounted on a traveller track with the ability to lock into place. This enables them to traverse the width of the cockpit, giving the helmsman good access to all instruments as well as both primary winches, but preventing uncontrolled movement in bad weather.

Below Deck

The sleeping quarters and and heads are located below the bridge deck area and are identical on port and starboard hulls.

An internal lift in each hull enables full wheelchair access to the cabins and heads below deck. The two aft cabins are primarily designed for wheelchair use, with low ceilings and extra floor space for maneuvering and transfers. The two forward cabins, while also wheelchair accessible, have full standing headroom.

The Lifts

There are two internal lifts that provide wheelchair access below deck and two external lifts that allow for dockside access. The wheelchair lift mechanisms utilize standard track and traveller car components driven by a small hydraulic reel winch. The external lift platforms lie behind hinged hull panels which can rotate open when at the dock or be manually locked into place when underway. Additionally a gangplank can be secured to the hatches at the sides or the stern to allow for easy wheelchair access when boarding or disembarking.

Other Features

The bridge deck area and the outside ‘racetrack’ are on a single unobstructed level with no steps or door thresholds.

Impossible Dream has pivoting centerboards. Although these boards, with the associated casings and hydraulics, are not as efficient as daggerboards, the pivoting mechanism gives the added benefit of a safety release in the event of striking an underwater object.

The systems are run by a generator and battery banks with backup electrical supply via an alternator on the starboard engine.

Sail Trimming

Impossible Dream has three sails, the mainsail and two headsails. All sail trimming, engine controls and navigation functions can be carried out from the outside helms as well as the bridge deck helm. Sheets are lead through the coachroof to the bridge deck level where they go to hydraulic self-tailing winches. These are coupled with hydraulic headsail furling gear and hydraulic in-boom furling for the mainsail. The jib sails can be finely tuned by using hydraulic rams. the hydraulics systems do add considerable weight to the boat, but this is the hardware that enables the boat to carry a racing size rig area, and more importantly enable a sailor using a wheelchair to trim the sails, and thus really drive the boat, on their own.