Historically, the reasons anglers have given for not wanting a power catamaran included its blunt-bow looks, bricklike profile and odd performance traits under way, including  leaning outboard in a turn. With the World Cat 290 (and all World Cats for that matter), each of those issues is gone, gone and gone.

Performance
The wind roared out of the northeast in Fort Pierce, Florida, where it combined with an outgoing tide to completely block the mouth of this infamous inlet with breaking surf. Fortunately, our local knowledge and catamaran hull allowed us to plow through it with impunity. Once outside, we ran beam-to, topping out at  52 mph and 6,100 rpm while burning 44.7 gph through the twin Suzuki four-strokes. Cruising along in abject comfort at 35 mph, we burned only 19.1 gph at 4,300 rpm, providing economy on the order of almost 2 mpg.

As I said, many catamarans tend to lean outboard in a turn, a trait most monohull aficionados find disconcerting. Not the case with the World Cat that leans into a turn and reverses course in a dramatically short distance, all without causing passengers to lose their balance.

Backing down, the twin hulls act like giant skegs, helping the World Cat track straight and true at quite a healthy clip. And with the engines spaced so far apart, pivoting is a dream.

Most catamarans eschew trim tabs. Rather you affect both lateral and fore/aft attitude simply by trimming one engine or the other or both in the case of raising or lowering the bows. To raise the port  side, you'd lift the starboard engine, and vice versa.

The high, proud bow of this World Cat does more than just improve the profile. It also makes for an incredibly dry and smooth ride in head seas.

Fishing
This World Cat 290 CC boasts storage for up to 20 rods around the cockpit when you buy the optional hardtop — as the majority of owners do. Some of that storage can be found in lockable compartments that drain onto the deck.

The huge in-deck fish boxes now sport diaphragm pump-outs rather than macerators to cut down on failure rates and clogging. The forward seats all have drainable, insulated storage that can also double as fish boxes.

Standard equipment also includes a 42-gallon livewell with full-column intake and soothing baby-blue interior.

In addition to a virtually clear wake at trolling speeds, the 290 CC features a walkthrough transom, allowing you to release or boat a fish with far greater ease than leaning over a gunwale.