Timeless Classics – Boats with Character – July/August 2025

World Cat 330 TE – Two Hulls Are Better Than One

For a handful of years, the queen of the fleet at World Cat was its 33-foot 330 Tournament Edition. While production ended in 2008, the boat still has a loyal following. The United States boating community has been more than a little behind the international curve of embracing the unique design and handling catamarans have to offer. As the number of multi-hull enthusiasts increases stateside, so does the devotion of those fans.

“She incorporates the high-tech construction common to all World Class boats with premium, hand-laid fiberglass and no encapsulated wood. As her name implies, the 330 is designed for serious anglers. She came with an impressive array of standard fishing features including two 45-gallon, lighted live-wells, leaning post with backrest, twin tackle centers, fresh and raw-water washdowns, and molded-in toe rail around the forward deck,” the Powerboat Guides reported.

To further the understanding of the distinction between mono and twin-hull designs, Sport Fishing magazine recently published an in-depth article by nautical veterans Jim Hendricks and Chris Caswell. Here’s a few quick excerpts.

“A strength of the catamaran is that it has such low drag. It’s just basic hydrodynamics. Two slim hulls have very low resistance than one wider hull and therefore require smaller engines and increase efficiency. Two sharp hulls pound less in a seaway too,” said Gino Morrelli, designer of America’s Cup and Olympic hulls.

“The ride between cats and monohulls differs in other ways. For example, the motion of a catamaran in waves is more like a cantering horse, which some people like and others don’t. At low speeds in a beam sea, some power cats can have a sharp roll as swells pass under each hull separately, but monohulls also roll considerably, which is why gyrostabilizers have become popular aboard them. But the roll movement is different for each, and you might prefer one motion to the other.

‘In hard turns, many catamarans remain flat or even lean outboard somewhat, which can intimidate inexperienced skippers more used to the inboard bank of a monohull,” the article continued.

It’s important to understand the handling characteristics of each when purchasing your vessel. It takes some getting used to but it seems once you go Cat, you are reluctant to go back.

Over 17 years, Mark Jankowski put 1,500-plus hours on Liquid Plumber, his 2004, 330 World Cat as he and his crew targeted bluefin tuna up and down the East Coast. His was powered with a pair of 250 Suzuki outboards. His preference for the catamaran hull is permanent and his new boat is a 26-foot twin-hull.

“We ran that boat from Massachusetts to North Carolina and it always delivered. The wide, 10-foot-plus beam and 34 feet overall gave this boat a very distinctive, big-boat feel. It fished much larger than a 33-footer,” Jankowski said.

The twin hulls, while narrow, afford the ability for World Cat to put a large, insulted fish box on each side and a huge coffin box forward. Certainly, that’s enough capacity to freshly preserve the bounty of a tremendously successful fishing trip. The catamaran layout, as previously stated, provides a 45-gallon livewell on each side.

At port and starboard is a compartment with a berth, offering ample storage for rods and gear with a dedicated lockable entry. The head is situated below the console.

“The helm console takes full advantage of the wide beam. I had two, 12-inch Simrad screens that sat easily uncrowded. The visibility from the helm was excellent, as the hull barely raised from idle to cruise. On a typical canyon trip, we’d burn just over 200 gallons. We’d cruise around 27 knots and wide-open, Liquid Plumber would hit near 35 knots,” Jankowski said.

“She ran good in a head sea, but the multi-hulls have a different ride in almost every sea condition. On a heavy beam sea, it would roll a bit and at times, like every boat, it would kick up spray,” he said.

The profile of the 330 TE is deceiving. The rub rail is sleek and uniform from transom to a not-so-subtle yet gentle lift as it approaches the center of the helm. It doesn’t lend the offering that it’s a multi-hull. It’s not until you see her head-on or the passing wake that the cat configuration is revealed.

Her side view doesn’t let on to her high and safe interior freeboard. Some say it’s a long way to the water but keeping crew in the boat and the sea out is just fine for me.

“This boat represents one of the finest multihull fishing designs ever built. While rated for up to twin 300-hp outboards, we recently ran a 330TE (Tournament Edition) with twin Honda 225s. After planing in 3 seconds, we ran at over 40 mph. The World Cat doesn’t exhibit as much of the hard-to-get-used-to motions as displacement-hull cats. But it still smoothes out rough seas and uses less fuel in the process,” Dean Travis Clark wrote in 2004 Sport Fishing when the boat was introduced.

“The company’s patented Vectorflo hull design traps and concentrates a large volume of air between the hulls to help create lift, resulting in reduced wetted surface, less drag and greater fuel efficiency,” he wrote. “A wheel hard-over turn at cruising speed offers a 180-degree course change in about three boat lengths. As with most cats, the hull remains flat in a turn until you really crank the wheel hard.”

Clark’s praise wasn’t unwarranted. The brochure for the vessel outlined World Cat’s dedication to quality.

“Patented Vectorflo semi-displacement hull provides a dry, stable and comfortable ride. Our Unibody Construction fuses the hull and deck to maximize hull rigidity and strength for the life of your World Cat 10-year limited, transferable, structural hull warranty,” the brochure notes. “Full 316 stainless steel hardware package provides a lifetime warranty against structural corrosion for years of carefree use and 100 percent composite construction creates a solid, durable, rot-free platform for serious offshore performance. Independent propulsion, fuel and electrical systems for the added security that you will be able to return home.”

It is clearly evident with the new wave of multi-hull construction exploding from the likes of Invincible, Freeman and Costa on our shores, World Cat was certainly the leader of the pack.