Isotope (catamaran)

{{Infobox sailboat specifications

|name = Isotope

|class_image = Isotope sail badge.png

|line drawing =

|line size =

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|image boat =

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|designer = Frank Meldau

|location = United States

|year = 1962

|no built = 710

|design =

|class =

|brand =

|builder = Fiberglass Unlimited

|role = One-design racer

|boats =

|crew = one

|trapeze =

|draft = {{convert|2.50|ft|m|abbr=on}} with the centerboards down

|air draft =

|displacement = {{convert|275|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}

|hulls =

|hull type = Catamaran

|construction = Fiberglass

|loa = {{convert|16.00|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|loh =

|lwl =

|beam = {{convert|7.50|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|hull draft =

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|engine =

|appendages =

|keel type = twin centerboards

|ballast =

|rudder type = transom-mounted rudders

|rigs =

|rig type = Bermuda rig

|I =

|J =

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|sails =

|sailplan = Fractional rigged sloop

|sailarea main = {{convert|140|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

|sailarea headsail= {{convert|45|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

|sailarea spin =

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|sails other =

|sailarea upwind =

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|sailarea total = {{convert|185|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

|rating =

|d-pn = 74.0

|rya-pn =

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}}

The Isotope is an American catamaran sailing dinghy that was designed by Frank Meldau as a one-design racer and first built in 1962.{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/isotope|title= Isotope sailboat|access-date= 4 September 2020|last= McArthur|first= Bruce|work= sailboatdata.com|year= 2020|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200904205512/https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/isotope|archive-date= 4 September 2020|url-status= live}}Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 68-69. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. {{ISBN|0-395-65239-1}}

The design is the larger stablemate of the Cheshire 14 catamaran.

Production

The design is built by Fiberglass Unlimited (now called Custom Fiberglass International) in Wake Forest, North Carolina, United States. A total of 710 have been built, and the design remains in production.{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/builder/custom-fiberglass-international|title= Custom Fiberglass International|access-date= 4 September 2020|last= McArthur|first= Bruce|work= sailboatdata.com|year= 2020|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200714221406/https://sailboatdata.com/builder/custom-fiberglass-international|archive-date= 14 July 2020|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= http://intl-fiberglass.com/isotope.php|title= Isotope Catamaran|access-date= 4 September 2020|author= Custom Fiberglass International|work= intl-fiberglass.com|year= 2013|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200904210126/http://intl-fiberglass.com/isotope.php|archive-date= 4 September 2020|url-status= live}}

Design

The Isotope is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of fiberglass. It has a fractional sloop rig, with aluminum spars, a sealed rotating mast and fully battened mainsail, with eight ash wood or fiberglass battens. The hulls have spooned raked stems, vertical transoms, transom-hung, kick-up rudders controlled by a tiller and retractable, self-tending centerboards. The hulls are joined with three cross-members. There are two stowage compartments, with hatches. The boat displaces {{convert|275|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} and has flotation for positive buoyancy, plus a righting bar.

The boat has a draft of {{convert|2.50|ft|m|abbr=on}} with the centerboards extended and {{convert|6|in|cm|abbr=on}} with them retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer.

For sailing the design may be equipped with options such as a mast limiter, roller furling jib and a trapeze.

The design has a Portsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 74.0. It is normally raced with a crew of one sailor although it can carry three people.