The Wylie 66, designed by Tom Wylie with construction by Westerly Marine, is fast, comfortable and an amazingly easy to sail passage maker. Its unique design features, based on comprehensive research, make life at sea on a Wylie 66 more enjoyable, safe and fun!

The carbon fiber unstayed cat-rigged sail plan is very easy to handle, simple to reef and provides stability and speed at any point of sail. The hull uses advanced technology to provide a fast, light and structurally sound platform for any conditions. The innovations of the cat rigs and sea-kindly hull result in an efficient craft that requires minimum crew and little maintenance. The open afterdeck eliminates the dinghy storage hassle and provides abundant stowage for water toys, dive equipment and safety gear. The low profile of the transom enables easy access to the water for snorkeling fun, landing a fish, and loading gear.

The Interior Layout
The well designed interior brings to the offshore experience spacious comfort and efficiency. Beginning with the walk-in pilothouse, welcoming settee and a dream galley with a view, the Wylie 66 combines an enviable lifestyle with the appointments needed for serious offshore sailing. Inside steering, a spacious navigation station and a walk-in engine room ensures easy access to equipment and systems. A large pantry with washer/dryer, wet locker and built in vacuum system accomodates long distance provisioning and easy maintenance. Two double stateroom suites and two cabins with two single berths each offer comfort, privacy and crew flexibility.

The Innovative Rig
The Wylie 66 carries 2,000 square feet of sail area in an innovative cat-rigged ketch layout that is simple and effective. The rig has freestanding masts, fully battened sails and wishbone booms. The masts and booms are constructed of braided carbon fiber which is heat and pressure cured for high strength and light weight. The masts flex progressively toward the tips and the booms simplify sail control and handling. The fully battened sails work in harmony with the masts and booms resulting in a rig that to a great degree adjusts itself as conditions change. The combination has been described by one sailing magazine as “an automatic transmission for sailboats.”

Some of the benefits of the Wyliecat rig include:

Power
The rig is very efficient and transmits energy to the hull smoothly and effectively on all points of sail. The 65 and 66 are capable of surfing at 22 knots under sail.

Flexible Control
The rig is easier to adjust and the settings work through a wider range of conditions. The mast, boom and sail are designed to work together. If you trim for 15-20 knot wind conditions and the wind freshens to 25, the following occurs: 1) The mast tip will flex to leeward twisting off the sail from the top with the result that the sail flattens and the rig automatically conforms to the new conditions. 2) The rig and hull smoothly absorb the increased load. If it was just a puff, the rig will automatically return to its former shape. You do not have to reef as often, you do not have to work as hard to keep the boat moving, the whole boat (rig and hull) is receiving less load-stress, AND, the shock-absorbing effect translates into a smoother motion through the water, reduced heel and no speed loss.

Ease-of-use and Lower Costs
Much less effort is needed to operate this rig; one person can handle it using small winches. Plus, the reduced sail inventory, fewer winches, fewer control lines and absence of standing rigging lowers operating costs.