Irish shipwright sends new boats into superstorm swell

An Irish boat builder used a superstorm that ravaged the British Isles to "test out" how his catamaran would perform in inclement conditions.

Sensing opportunity where most would see only ruin, Frank Kowalski, of Savehaven Marine, based in Cork, had his "Wildcat 60" take on waves of up to 12m as Storm Frank roiled the ocean into merciless tumult.

Shadowed by "Barracuda", which acted as a support and video boat, Wildcat performed admirably in the raging sea, ascending the white-capped swell at near-vertical angles before crashing back down again, somehow staying upright and afloat.

The smaller Barracuda also held its own against the king tide, with Mr Kowalski reporting on YouTube that he was more than happy with the results of the extreme trial.

"Both boats handled the conditions fabulously displaying excellent sea keeping and stability," he wrote.

According to Safehaven Marine's Facebook page, similar tests were carried out on rough seas riled by Storm Christine, which struck the UK shortly after Frank.