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wrote:
Most of the monohull sailors that I know who have sailed cats,
complain that the combined bow waves meet under the bridge deck
creating a very uncomfortable pounding. This effect is said to
worsen as wave height increases. It would seem that the higher off
the water the bridge deck the less this would be of concern but there
are obvious limits to this approach.

My question- Is this an issue with tri's I would also be interested
in input from cat sailors as to how much this is an issue with their
boat and is the only solution increased height for the bridge deck?

Not an issue with most tri's as other posters have already pointed out. You
might find the unusual action of a tri across a quartering sea to windward a
bit disconcerting at first, the action can be a bit unusual. That sensation
is the only thing that has ever made my wife queasy at sea, which surprised
us both, and we didn't discover until after buying the boat.

Most Tri's sail more like mono's than cats, owing to the common central
hull. The differences are beam on to choppy seas on the tri can lead to some
slapping water on the floats, and occasionally a greenie over the cockpit
forced up between hull and float. On our 10m Farrier a short bay chop of
around 4 feet is the worst and most frustrating if needing to be taken on
the for'd quarters to the beam. Irritating and wetting, but nothing more.
Out in the Ocean swells, no problems at all.

I prefer tri's for sailing myself, but I'm not at all a fan of solid wing
tri's, which can slam going to weather, especially if overloaded, and can be
subject to massive stress loads to the beams by breaking waves. Of course,
no tri I've seen competes with a modern bridgedeck cat for luxury at anchor.

Ian