46' catamaran surfs a big wave

Tasmania, Australia - This YOUTUBE video was uploaded in 2009 but still is amazing to watch.  Ian Sloan, the skipper of a 46-foot, $500,000 catamaran gets impatient waiting for the swell to die down and was not willing to take to two day trip around, the brave captain decides to make a go-for-it through the 15 foot seas across the Southport seaway.

Just as the ship gets into the impact zone, a big set comes and the skipper keep her steady ahead and catches a big wave in.  The wave breaks behind the boat and propels the ship to safety, away from the breakers. 

At one point it looked like the ship was going to pearl and flip head-over-heals but the brave skipper corrects the boat to the right, and it levels out as it slid into the flats. 

Usually it doesn't work out this way, so skipper Ian Sloan has quite the sailor story, and video to show.

Take a look at the Australian news story: