By chance he was in Cromer and saw local fisherman John Davies beach his own 9m Cheetah on a particularly rough day.

Steve Dallas tells the story.

'I was sat in a cafe watching a boat lining up with the shore and I thought, no, that's not possible. But the boat flew towards us and straight up the beach. I'd never seen anything like it. I thought it was going to come straight in through the window. I talked to John for awhile and then went back to Bermuda and thought about it for a long time.'

Steve Dallas eventually contacted Cheetah Marine and after many conversations with catamaran designer Sean Strevens, Sean flew out to Bermuda to discuss boat building possibilities.

Unlike many of the game fishing boats in Bermuda, Steve Dallas wanted a craft that was a real commercial workboat, a large charter game fishing boat which would be stable enough to be comfortable in really rough seas. Sean Strevens said of his visit, 'In Bermuda the best fish are caught 30 to 40 miles offshore. The fish they catch out there are huge, marlin and tuna of up to 1,100 pounds.

Together we designed a boat that would be perfect for him and was achievable within the budget.'

The resulting Cheetah is 9m LOA with a beam of 3.6m. A long wheelhouse with Houdini sliding windows houses two suspension seats, a work surface with a sink and a 30 gallon water supply on the starboard side, with additional seating on the port side. A double berth is provided and there is space for a marine toilet which will be fitted by the owner.

The extended roof overhang of 2.5m is supported by a 2in polished stainless steel frame and provides shade for the bait station. This facility, designed by Sean Strevens and Steve Dallas, was custom moulded and built to provide insulated storage for tuna. A live bait well with pump, bait storage, fresh and salt water deck wash, a sink and water supply complete the package.

Safety rails all round with an overhead davit are all in 316 stainless steel and were fabricated in Cheetah's own metal workshop. To reel in the big fish, Sean has specified a Muir VC2500 capstan with foot controls which has a reverse gear and takes a maximum load of 2,500 pounds. The base for a fighting chair, which will be fitted in Bermuda, was incorporated into the hull's original lay up. Interior, exterior and navigation lights have all been installed.

Power is provided by twin Volvo AD31 DP units rated at 150 hp each, which will take the catamaran to a comfortable 25 knots. Hydrive twin ram hydraulic steering and a balance valve interface with Course Master Auto Pilot which controls engine power.

Cheetah Marine will also bringing a newbuild from their ever popular 6m range to Seawork 2005 . This 6.2m version is powered by twin 50hp Honda four stroke outboards and will be delivered to an angler owner based at Ventnor Haven on the Isle of Wight.

MJ Information No: 20701