Another important safety factor is the shape of the hulls and
the possibility of lifting up the daggerboards in heavy weather,
which allows the boat to side-slips rather than raising a hull. ...

Well I have a cat with boards and have, from time to time, lain ahull
(parking in cat speak) and I do this with the boards up... However, it
is not a storm tactic. I have seen studies that suggest that tripping
might be a theoretical issue, but cats have lots of stability and very
large moments and are very unlikely to capsize in cruising usage. So,
no, I don't think this is a major issue. Sometimes having a boat that
can claw to weather and tack with assurance is a nice thing and boards
help with this. Still, keels are cheaper, and well done preform just
fine.

FWIW, I think Catanas are nice boats, but check the construction and
the wiring very carefully if you are buying one.

-- Tom.