The Boat

Following Tides is a 2000 Sud Composites Switch 51 catamaran. It is the Grand Cruiser model and was designed by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prevost. It is a custom boat built in France, with two cabins in the port hull and the starboard hull dedicated to the owner’s cabin.

The following articles are from the August 2002 issue of SAIL magazine. The photos in the article are of our boat, which is hull #1. It has since been repainted, eliminating the blue stripe down the side and adding the graphics on the side of the boat. We’d like to thank and credit Dwayne and Lisa Coneeny, from whom we purchased the boat, for coming up with the name and graphic design. Prior to their ownership, the boat was owned by Rex and Celeste Conn and was named Alacrity. Rex raced the boat and did very well; we’re told she topped out at 24.9 knots on the way to Cuba!

The Switch 51 was nominated for Boat of the Year in 2002 and made the Top 10 list:

For additional information on these fabulous boats, visit the manufacturer’s website at: http://www.sudcomposites.com/

• Sud Composites
• Located in Balaruc les Bains, France, home of the Switch 51 & Switch 55 catamarans.
• Seven Seas Cruising Association
• A great site, and great organization, for the sailors out there living the dream, planning it, or just dreaming it!