MULTIHULL ENTHUSIAST

BOATS ON DISPLAY AT multihull enthusiast BIGGEST EUROPEAN MULTIHULL SHOW

Meet 17 multihulls that will be shown in April at the huge International Multihull Show in La Grande Motte, France

France is the multihull capital of Europe and only South Africa rivals the country for dominance in this special market segment. Every spring, the large marina at La Grande Motte near Montpelier in the south of France hosts Europe’s largest multihull show and all of the major builders from France and elsewhere display their latest and brightest designs. Here is a preview of boats that will be at the show this year.

AVENTURA

Built in Tunisia, the Aventura line of sailing and cruising catamarans offers unique modern designs in the 34 to 45-foot range and exceptional value. The little 34 is one of the smallest cruising cats on the market and packs a lot of accommodation and sailing performance in a boat that can be easily sailed singlehanded or by a couple. Note the hard chines above the waterline that add volume to the hulls where it is needed while keeping the hulls narrow and fast in the water where it counts. Aventura also build two flybridge power cruisers at 35 and 40 feet. Check out the Aventura website here.

BALANCE 442

The new Balance 442 is the smallest design in the Balance fleet that includes the 482, 526 and 620 yet it offers the same spritely sailing performance and luxurious accommodations of her bigger sisters. The concept behind Balance, as defined by founder Phil Berman, is to create fine sailing catamarans, with daggerboards and good windward performance, that can carry a couple or family anywhere they dream to go and bear the weight of supplies and stores that voyaging boats need to carry. Hence the name Balance. Built in South Africa by journeymen composite craftsmen, the 442 will appeal to couples who stand lone watches, and younger crews who want to go cruising in style but on a budget. Check out the 442 here.

BALI 4.2

The new 40-foot Bali 4.2 is a remarkable small cat that offers the living spaces of a much larger design. Bali has always been known for building boats that were indooroutdoor experiences and that have a rigid foredeck and forward cockpit that expands the areas in which the party aboard can in fact party. While the 4.2 will find its way into the large charter fleets, such as the Dream Yacht Charters Network, it will also make a fine family cruiser, particularly in warmer climes. With large sliding glass door and windows, the saloon, forward and aft cockpits all kind of flow together. With fairly wide hulls, the sleeping cabins are spacious for a boat of this size. If you are looking for a fun boat with lots of space, the Bali 4.2 might be for you. Check out their website here.

Catana Ocean Class Cantana has been building ocean going

cruising cats for decades and was a pioneer in the field of long-range cruising aboard and modern cats. The new Ocean Class fits right into that profile and offers cruisers a 49-foot cat with daggerboards and a tall composite rig that will reel off 200 mile days with alacrity and will, if pushed, get you to 250 miles a day or more. The OC can sail at 15 to 20 knots, but it is hard to sustain such seeds while making an offshore passage. The boats are built on a semi-custom basis so you can arrange the sleeping cabins to your specific needs. With a raised helm, visibility forward is good and all running lines run back to winches at the helm for a lone watch stander to handle. If you are heading over the horizon to landfalls far and wide, then the new Catana Ocean Class might be just right for you. Check out the website here

EXCESS 14

The Excess line of catamarans was launched five years ago by Groupe Beneteau, which also owns Lagoon catamarans. The new brand has been targeted at a youthful audience of active adventurers and the move seems to be working well. In 2022, Excess will launch its fourth boat in the line with the new Excess 14. This 45-foot cat was designed from scratch and offers a good compromise between good sailing performance, open spaces and spacious cabins. The use of full-length chines in the hulls keeps the wetted surface to a minimum while maximizing interior volume. The 14 should be a real hit when it is launched this year. Check out the website here.

FOUNTAINE PAJOT 51

The new FP 51 that will be launched this year takes the concept of outdoor lounging and living spaces to a whole new level. The aft cockpit is large and joins with the saloon to make one large living space that is protected from the elements with room to entertain a dozen or more friends. Then there is the flying bridge and helm that has a huge U-shaped sofa where you can enjoy sunning during the day and star gazing at night. Finally, there is the new bridgedeck forward that is a third lounge where the kids on board can collect away from the oldies for their kid time. FP has managed to fit all of this into a cat that is quite sleek looking and does not suffer from wedding-cake syndrome; even the lounge on the flybridge seems unobtrusive and almost hidden from view. This is going to make a wonderful family cruiser and will fit very nicely into the charter fleets. See more on their website.

FOUNTAINE PAJOT MY 4.5 The new Daniel Andrieu-designed FP MY 4.5 is a thoroughly modern power cat with lots of sharp angles, hard chines and huge windows in the hulls. Unlike her bigger FP motor cat sisters, the MY 4.5 does not have a flying bridge, so it is what could be called a coupe cat. The saloon is large and has an opening sunroof and opening windows for excellent ventilation and natural light. The aft cockpit is covered with an extended roof to protect you from the weather. And, forward, via the wide side decks, there is a lounging area with folding sun beds. This new entry is powered by twin Yamaha 250s that will drive it at

20 knots or more and will provide efficient cruising speeds in the mid teens. This looks likes a great couples’ coastal cruiser for the ICW or Great Loop. Check it out on the website.

HH 44

The all new HH 44 is a unique, high-tech cat that embraces the future of solarelectric-hybrid auxiliary power. The 44 shares the HH family’s lightweight hulls and powerful rigs and will in the right conditions sail as fast as the wind. And, with C-shaped daggerboards, it will be as close winded as most monohulls. All of that means you won’t need to run the engines as often as you do on more conventional cats. The huge lithium ion battery bank is charged by the solar array on the cabintop and by water generators while sailing. Plus, it has a diesel genset for those moments when solar and water power are not enough. The 44 has an open plan as the saloon and cockpit flow together through sliding doors to create one large living space. The boat can have three or four sleeping cabins. For eco-concerned sailors and those who want to cruise in a self-sustaining yacht, the new HH 44 will be very attractive indeed. Check out the website here.

ITALCATAMARANS

This new 50-foot cat from Italy is a concept cruising boat that is intended to be entirely sustainable and leave no carbon footprint. The design emphasizes great sailing performance so owners will be able to sail when others are motoring. And, under power will use less energy to push the narrow hulls through the water. Powered by the Finishbuilt OceanVolt system, a large bank of lithium batteries and a huge solar array, the cat should be able to cruise the world indefinitely. In addition, they are using a brand new water making technology that reduced energy required to make water by about 80 percent. The finished boat will be a luxury performance cruiser that any owner could take pride in for all the above reasons and more. Check it here.

KINETIC 54 Kinetic burst on the cat scene four years ago with the majestic KC 62 that incorporated so many innovations that founder Bob Hayward had the entire boat show at the time talking Kinetic. The 62

took off and is now being followed by the all-new 54. With all-carbon construction and carbon spar, the boat is high tech and designed for excellent sailing characteristics. The side decks are wide and there is a forward cockpit where all lines and sheets are controlled as in a Chris White or Gunboat design. The saloon is vast and has almost seven feet of head room; plus it is surrounded by high, curved windows made of shatterproof glass that provide amazing vistas. For families or couples looking for a high-end, high-tech carbon, performance cat, the Kinetic 54 competes very favorably against others in this rarified segment of the market. Check out their website here.

LAGOON 51

Lagoon Catamarans launched their new 55 at the beginning of the year and is has been greeted with enthusiasm in the owner and charter market. Lagoon began life with a 55-foot cat and is coming full circle. The new 55 is a huge 55-footer with a large cockpit aft, an open-air lounge forward of the saloon and a large covered flybridge with an L-shaped dinette and the helm station. For comfort and space, Lagoon has come a long way since they built their first 55. But, just as exciting is the news that 2022 will see the introduction of the new Lagoon 51. This too is a huge 51-footer and it bears a strong family resemblance to the 55. It has a large aft cockpit, a lounge on the foredeck and a raised flybridge with a dinette. The hulls in both boats are voluminous so the sleeping cabins and heads offer space, lots of light and ventilation and comfort. For extended voyaging, the new Lagoons are packing all the qualities a family could need. Check out the website here.

LEEN 56 PC When Eric and Barbara Bruneel decided to launch a power cruising side of their sailing trimaran business NEEL, they cleverly reversed the order of the letters to arrive

Lagoon 55

at the new brand. LEEN is building the most unique power cruisers on the market based upon the proven performance of trimaran hulls and their innovative way of placing the living areas on top of the three hulls instead of inside them. The 56 looks like a trawler with a flying bridge and wings on either side of the main hull. It is also similar in many ways to the WavePiercing ferries you’ll find in Australia and the Med. In a cruising boat, the design gives you a huge amount of space in a very efficient hull design, which offers great cruising comfort and bonus miles per gallon of fuel. If you are looking for the most innovative power cruisers out there, the LEEN 56 should be on your list. Check out the website here.

LEOPARD 42

The new Leopard 42, built by Robertson & Caine in South Africa for Travel International owners of Sunsail and The Moorings, joins the 45 and 50 in this new generation of Lagoons. The 42 has the flowing lines and pleasing profile of her larger sisters and offers similar sailing performance and ease of handling. She also has the signature full length side windows, the full length hard top over the cockpit and the low-profile sky lounge on the flybridge. The 42 comes in a three-cabin owner’s version and a four-cabin charter arrangement. The saloon is huge for a 42-footer and the cockpit has a comfortable U-shaped dinette for al fresco meals. The raised helm to starboard offers great visibility and is connected socially to both the cockpit and the sky lounge. For couples or young families looking for a moderately-sized cruising cat, the new Leopard 42 has everything they’ll need and more. Check out the website here.

NAUTITECH 44 Nautitech is a venerable brand in Europe and has a growing following in North America. The company was acquired by Bavaria in 2014 and they christened the new partnership by introducing the Nautitech Open 40, which is a fine sailing performance production cat with twin aft helms, a tall rig and a low profile cabin. Following the success of the 40, they introduced the 46 and then 46 Fly, which has a flybridge. The new 44, designed by Marc Lombard, fills a spot in the line and is a pleasing design evolution from the earlier boats. It has twin wheels with all control lines and sheets leading aft to the starboard helm. The side decks are wide and the foredeck uncluttered. The cockpit has bench settees with a folding table and an overhead hard top. The saloon is compact with a dinette and vav station to port and the large and useful

Nautitech 44

galley to starboard. The 44 has the owner’s suite in the port hull and two guest cabins and heads in the starboard hull. This is a performance cruiser for those who want to sail far and wide in real style. Check out the website here.

NEEL 43

The new NEEL 43 made its debut in 2021 and immediately got rave reviews and won a number of awards. Designed by Mark Lombard, the 43 has a somewhat sleeker look than her sister tris. The amas are fairly low profile and nicely curved. The saloon has a sexy forward slope to the roof that extends aft to cover the dinette in the cockpit. NEEL has coined the word “cockloon” to explain how the cockpit, with an L-shaped dinette, flows together with the saloon, which also has an L-shaped dinette, by sliding away the glass doors between them. Uniquely, the saloon has two deck level sleeping cabins, a master suite to starboard and a guest cabin to port. Three more small cabins are in the bows of the tri’s three hulls. There is nothing like the NEEL 43, except the other NEEL models. See MT’s review in this issue and check out the website here.

OUTREMER 55 The new Outremer 55 was introduced in late 2021 and immediately won first place in the European Boat of the Year contest, voted on by respected yachting journalists from all over Europe. It is not surprising. Outremer has been on a roll for years solidifying year after year that the company is a true leader in the performance cruising category. The 55 looks significantly larger that the 51 I once sailed from the U.S. to the Caribbean, yet it promises to be just as fast. We had no trouble finding 15 knots of boat speed and the new design could be even faster. The hulls are quite narrow for wave piercing and low wetted surface. The bridgedeck is quite high to prevent wave slapping. The rig is huge for great light air sailing performance. The saloon and cockpit are one large open space with the cockpit covered by a hard top. The spaces can be closed off with multiple sliding doors. The 55 comes in either a three or fourcabin version. This is a pure world girdling

passagemaker and will be perfect for a circumnavigation. Check out the website here.

PRIVILEGE 580

The French cat builder Privilege long ago staked out the luxury, high end of the market and has served their customers well with yachts that are innovative in design, built to the highest yacht standard and equipped with all of the gear and systems a sophisticated owner requires. Now under the ownership of the German builder Hanse, Privilege has the resources and capital backing to go to the next level by upping the sailing performance of the big cats. The new Privilege accomplishes just that; the new design sails very well due to the narrow hulls under the hard chines, high tech build and a large fat head rig. The 580 comes with a master suite, two large guest cabins and a crew cabin for a captain and mate. The galley is down in the hull instead of being in the saloon. If luxury, comfort, innovative design and good sailing performance are on your must-have list, then the Privilege 580 is for you. Check out the website here.