Follow the build of The Spirit of Scott Bader II

26 years ago, Scott Bader donated composite and adhesive material to the Disabled Sailors Association (DSA) to build a catamaran for disabled sailors. It’s called ‘The Spirit of Scott Bader’ and has been in service for 25 years, taking over 50,000 disabled people to the seas. 

The boat was launched by HRH Princess Anne alongside DSA founder, Mike Wood MBE. The Spirit of Scott Bader is incredibly busy, sailing out from Port Solent in Portsmouth every day between March and the late season, with crews that include injured and recovering ex-servicemen, those with visual and hearing impairments, those with MS, those with profound learning and physical disabilities and many others.

After 25 years of service, the boat is coming to the end of life and project is under way to build a new catamaran, alongside Multihull Centre Services, a specialist catamaran manufacturer and long-term supporter of the DSA. We are proud to be supporting the landmark project and the world’s first production performance catamaran with accessibility at its core.

You can follow the build of the project below with regular updates from the talented team at Multihull Centre Services.

Who are the DSA?

The Disabled Sailors Association provide sailing opportunities for people with a disability. Every year, over 2,500 people sail one of their boats and the charity has been running for over 30 years. It was founded by Mike Wood, who received an MBE for his services to charity in 2004.

The Spirit of Scott Bader II

The new boat is a modern, state-of-the-art purpose built wide bodied catamaran, specifically designed for disabled users. It combines performance design with inclusive features, wide hulls, automated systems and true independence for wheelchair users.

It is planned to be launched at the 2026 Southampton International Boat Show, which welcomes over 85,000 visitors.

Post launch, the boat will be sailed by disabled sailors across the Atlantic to the US, where it will also be showcased at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

Scott Bader has donated it's high-performance marine resins, gelcoats, structural adhesives and tooling systems to enable Multihull Centre Services to build the new catamaran.

Progress updates

Below are images and videos from Multihull Centre Services as their team continue work on building The Spirit of Scott Bader II.