THE COOL CATS

the CATS

WITH THE SPACE AND STYLE OF A LUXURY APARTMENT, LARGE TWINHULLED POWER CATAMARANS ARE FAST BECOMING THE MOTOR YACHT OF CHOICE FOR SMART CRUISERS. HERE ARE 10 OF OUR FAVORITES.

BY HOWARD WALKER

n p a p e r , p o w e r c a t a m a r a n s m a k e t h e p e r f e c t c r u i s e r . T h e y ’ r e w i d e a n d s t a b l e , w i t h a c r e s o f l i v e - a b o a r d s p a c e . T h e y ’ r e f a s t a n d h u g e l y e f fi c i e n t t o o . A n d m o r e o a n d m o r e o f t h e m a r e u s i n g s o l a r e n e r g y f o r p o w e r .

Y e s , t h e i r e x p a n s i v e b e a m c a n m a k e s n a g g i n g a m a r i n a s l i p c h a l l e n g i n g , b u t s m a r t b o a t e r s a r e fi n d i n g t h a t p o w e r c a t p o s i t i v e s f a r o u t w e i g h t h e n e g a t i v e s .

I t m i g h t b e t h e t i m e t o t r y a b i g c a t o n f o r s i z e .

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LENGTH: 69 FEET, 9 INCHES BEAM: 26 FEET, 11 INCHES DRAFT: 4 FEET, 9 INCHES POWER: 2 X VOLVO 1,000-HP D13 TOP SPEED: 27 KNOTS CRUISE: 21 KNOTS FUEL: 1,162 GALLONS BASE PRICE: $4 MILLION (aquilaboats.com)

Think of it as Florida’s fi nest. Aquila Yachts in St. Petersburg recently introduced what could be the coolest-looking cat of them all: its new $4 million Aquila 70. And being born and raised in the Sunshine State, it’s designed for soaking up rays.

Up on its wide foredeck, you’ll fi nd huge sun pads and forward-facing sofas, while a fully enclosed fl ybridge comes air-conditioned when you need to escape the heat.

Out on the back deck, there’s a large table and sofas for alfresco dining. Steps lead down to a full-width beach club outfitted with a huge hydraulically levitating platform between the hulls, if you’re looking for a place to park your tender.

Below decks, there’s a quartet of staterooms, including a magnifi cent full-width master suite with hull windows that fl ood the cabin with light.

Twin 1,000-hp Volvo Penta D13 diesels with joystick-controlled IPS drives—one in each hull— can thrust the Aquila to a top speed of close to 30 knots, while the 1,162-gallon tanks will take you more than 3,000 nautical miles.

This is one cat that’s the real meow.

There’s no more prolifi c a sailing cat builder than Clearwater, Florida–based Leopard Catamarans. That being said, the yachts are actually built in South Africa by Robertson & Caine, with most crafts ending up in the charter fl eets of The Moorings, Sunsail, and Footloose.

But power cats are also big at Leopard; the fl eet’s latest is the perfectly sized 53 Powercat, with a three-cabin layout and a spacious owner’s stateroom that fi lls the entire starboard hull.

Launched at the 2020 Miami International Boat Show, this 53 instantly won the coveted Multihull of the Year award. As the replacement

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for the previous Leopard 51, it has big hulls to fi ll, as this reportedly was the bestselling power cat of all time.

Beautifully fi nished and nicely equipped, the salon is all big, comfy freestanding sofas, with a spacious galley that opens out on to the 25-foot-wide back deck.

One major attraction about the 53 is its impressive seakeeping, with the ability to slice through big waves without lots of between-hull pounding. That, and its 22-knot top speed make it one Leopard that can really roar. LENGTH: 53 FEET, 1 INCH BEAM: 25 FEET, 2 INCHES DRAFT: 3 FEET, 2 INCHES POWER: 2 X 370-HP YANMAR TOP SPEED: 22 KNOTS CRUISE: 17 KNOTS FUEL: 580 GALLONS BASE PRICE: $1 MILLION (leopardcatamarans.com)

From the fl ybridge, the forward deck looks big enough to land a helicopter on. But then a descending chopper might pose a problem for someone luxuriating in the foredeck hot tub. (Did we mention the hot tub?)

This French-built 67-footer from La Rochelle–based Fountaine-Pajot is all about one thing and one thing only: entertaining. That vast, teak-decked foredeck has space for a multitude of loungers, bean bags, and sun pads, plus a deep dining/relaxing conversation pit with its own door into the saloon.

And being French, style is also key—from those stunning axe-shaped bow sections, to the low-slung coach roof, to the choice of interior veneers and upholstery. Très chic.

The yacht’s impressive 32-foot beam allows for huge cabins—the owner’s suite stretches more than 237 square feet and includes a dressing room with a sofa and a cavernous bathroom. Twin Volvo diesels, with a choice of 300-hp or punchier 480-hp versions, can give a top speed of up to 25 knots. With the 1,057-gallon tanks brimmed, the 67 can cruise majestically for more than 1,700 nautical miles.

Think of it as a fi ve-star Fountaine of youth.

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LENGTH: 64 FEET, 5 INCHES BEAM: 32 FEET, 3 INCHES DRAFT: 3 FEET, 8 INCHES POWER: 2 X 300-HP VOLVOS (BASE) TOP SPEED: 25 KNOTS CRUISE: 14 KNOTS FUEL: 1,057 GALLONS BASE PRICE: $3.2 MILLION (motoryachts-fountaine -pajot.com)

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LENGTH: 60 FEET BEAM: 24 FEET, 1 INCH DRAFT: 3 FEET, 1 INCH POWER: 2 X 250HP YANMAR (BASE) TOP SPEED: 25 KNOTS CRUISE: 14 KNOTS FUEL: 488 GALLONS BASE PRICE: TBD (alva-yachts.com)

High-luxury, zero-emission globe-trotting in an all-electric power catamaran is the promise of new German boat builder Alva Yachts. Although the company was formed just a year ago, it’s about to complete its brand-new Ocean Eco 60 and has a 90-foot version waiting in the wings.

The 60 is a guaranteed head turner. With its twin towering vertical bows and bold “fl ying” buttresses connecting the coach roof to the bows, it could be an extra out of the next Star Wars movie.

With integrated solar panels fi lling the fl ybridge roof, forward overhang, and those buttresses, the 60 can produce 20kW of solar energy that gets stored in its banks of lithium batteries.

These in turn power twin electric motors—owners get to decide how big—that can push the yacht at 7 knots for up to 110 nautical miles, or at 4 to 5 knots indefi nitely. You can also crank up the high-capacity generator when the batteries get low. (And, of course, there’s no shortage of electricity to power up your laptop.)

Clever interior design from one of the company founders, Holger Henn, has resulted in plenty of accommodation space. The starboard hull provides an owner’s stateroom with a bedroom, an adjoining den/offi ce, and an apartment-sized bathroom.

LENGTH: 44 FEET, 2 INCHES BEAM: 21 FEET, 3 INCHES DRAFT: 3 FEET, 3 INCHES POWER: 2 X 600-HP YANMAR TOP SPEED: 34 KNOTS CRUISE: 20 KNOTS FUEL: 1,480 GALLONS BASE PRICE: $1.12 million (longreach catamarans.com)

Tennis ace Rafael Nadal is one of the newest converts to the spatial benefi ts of power catamarans. Back in June 2020, he traded his sleek Monte Carlo 76 motor yacht called Beethoven for a brand-new Sunreef 80 power catamaran. He’d already chartered a number of power cats from the Polish builder before commissioning the azure-blue-hulled Sunreef he named Great White.

The appeal? Maybe it’s the 4,000 square feet of living space, with four cabins for a total eight guests. The owner’s suite features a walk-in dressing room, sofa, and private folddown balcony.

With a whopping 39-foot beam, this big cat boasts a huge covered fl ybridge with a wet bar, a barbecue, and acres of sun pads for tanning, plus a tender garage at the stern big enough for a small armada of Jet Skis and water toys.

To satisfy his need for speed, Nadal opted for twin 1,200-hp diesels to give a top speed of 27 knots, as well as huge fuel tanks for a long range.

Nadal and his wife, Maria, are from the Spanish island of Mallorca; they keep the Sunreef 80—base price around $7 million—in a slip right outside their home.

“Between a catamaran and a monohull, there is no comparison. The space you have is impossible to compare,” says Nadal. “I have such great memories of my charters, I had to have one for myself.”

Call it the Thunder from Down Under. Leading Aussie power cat designer Longreach is putting the fi nishing touches on its brand-new Longreach 44 High Performance, which packs a screaming top speed of 34 knots.

The secret to its speediness? A super effi cient hull shape, plus two underwater hydrofoils that lift the slender hulls to reduce drag. That, and a pair of honking 600-hp Yanmar turbo diesels.

This performance element is new to the Longreach philosophy. Until now it’s been all about going as far as possible on a tank.

The standard 44 typically comes with a pair of 250-hp Yanmars that, at an 8.5-knot cruising speed, sip diesel at less than 3 gallons an hour. It gives it an astonishing range of more than 3,000 nautical miles. That’s Palm Beach to Maine and back.

The Longreach range of 44 and 54 models is built in Thailand by award-winning power cat maker Powerplay, which would be delighted to ship one to Florida. Don’t expect delivery any time soon, though—production is booked through 2022.

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LENGTH: 78 FEET, 6 INCHES BEAM: 39 FEET, 4 INCHES DRAFT: 5 FEET, 6 INCHES POWER: 2 X VOLVO 1,200-HP D13 TOP SPEED: 24 KNOTS CRUISE: 13 KNOTS FUEL: 1,162 GALLONS BASE PRICE: $7 MILLION (sunreef-yachts.com)

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LENGTH: 66 FEET, 1 INCH BEAM: 32 FEET, 11 INCHES DRAFT: 3 FEET, 9 INCHES POWER: 2 X VOLVO 340-HP D6 OR 440-HP YANMAR 6LY TOP SPEED: 21 KNOTS CRUISE: 14 KNOTS FUEL: 1,448 GALLONS BASE PRICE: $2.5 MILLION (cata-lagoon.com)

The benefi t of twin hulls on a powerboat aren’t restricted just to huge-beam, XXL-sized gin palaces. Up in Burlington, Washington, family-run Aspen Power Catamarans has been building a range of quirky, 28- to 40-foot power cats that owners just love.

Aspen’s newest off ering is the multifunctional, 37-foot C108, with the immediate triple appeal of not only having outboard power, but also boasting a skinny draft of a mere 1 foot, 10 inches. And with its narrow 10-foot beam, it can be trailered.

But quirky is the word here. Like other Aspen models, the new C108 features asymmetrical displacement hulls, with one hull being 35 percent thinner than the other. It’s kind of the same thinking behind an outrigger canoe. It means less drag, better fuel effi ciency, and zippier performance.

And while the C108 comes with twin outboards, one hull gets a 115-hp Yamaha and the other a 200-hp Yamaha. With both motors humming, this cat tops out at 26 knots, burning just a gallon of fuel per mile.

The cozy saloon features a dinette opposite the galley, helm, and co-pilot seats up front, as well as a lift-up rear window. Below decks there’s a decently sized master cabin, a single, and a rather weird arrangement of a second single accessible through the head.

French builder Lagoon Yachts pretty much invented the power catamaran market back in the early 2000s by lopping the mast off its Lagoon 43 sailing cat to create the hugely successful Lagoon Power 43.

The company’s creations have come a long way since then. Just feast your eyes on its latest off ering: the spectacular 67-foot Lagoon Sixty 7 fl oating palace.

Penned by the legendary French car designer Patrick le Quément, the lines of this twin-hulled beauty are low, sleek, and sexy. Even standing still, it looks like it’s slicing through waves at its 21-knot top speed.

What’s so impressive about the new Sixty 7 is its truly massive deck areas. Up on the bow there’s a protected, sunken dining area, along with full-width, teak-decked spaces for sun loungers and pads.

Add to this the expansive covered fl ybridge, with its alfresco kitchen and dining area, and the vast cockpit area with more nooks for dining and lounging. We love the oversized side cockpit pads that are perfect for a post-lunch snooze.

Take your pick from four- or fi ve-cabin layouts, while that massive 32-foot beam makes the saloon bigger than that of most luxury condos.

Interestingly, Lagoon doesn’t try to overpower the Sixty 7. Balancing performance with fuel effi ciency, engine choices are either twin 340-hp Volvo D6s or a pair of 440-hp Yanmar 6LYs.

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LENGTH: 37 FEET, 6 INCHES BEAM: 10 FEET, 8 INCHES DRAFT: 1 FOOT, 10 INCHES POWER: 115-HP AND 200-HP YAMAHAS TOP SPEED: 25 KNOTS CRUISE: 17 KNOTS FUEL: 130 GALLONS BASE PRICE: $398,000 (aspencatamarans.com)

Horizon Power Catamarans, with its U.S. headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, is one of the power cat pioneers. Its lineup includes the PC52, PC65, and fl agship PC74— though it’s the 60-foot PC60 that’s the sweetheart of the range, with more than 50 sold.

Big but not too big, it packs four staterooms into its 24-foot, 6-inch beam—including the option of a stunning forward-facing master suite on the main deck.

The 60 also comes with the choice of an open bridge, a semi-enclosed bridge, or an enclosed and air-conditioned Skylounge, with sliding glass doors to the aft deck.

Powering the PC60 is a pair of 705-hp Cummins diesels that can give a top speed of 23 knots. Throttle back to a more leisurely 9 knots and it’ll run for nearly 1,500 nautical miles on a tank.

What we love about Horizon’s customer care is that every new cat is delivered to the owner fully commissioned and equipped with all tools and spares. The company’s CEO, Richard Ford, even joins the new owners for a shakedown cruise and tutorial.

LENGTH: 61 FEET, 7 INCHES BEAM: 24 FEET, 6 INCHES DRAFT: 4 FEET, 9 INCHES POWER: 2 X 705-HP CUMMINS TOP SPEED: 23 KNOTS CRUISE: 18 KNOTS FUEL: 1,000 GALLONS BASE PRICE: $3.4 MILLION (horizonpower catamarans.com)

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LENGTH: 59 FEET BEAM: 29 FEET, 5 INCHES DRAFT: 3 FEET POWER: 2 X 340KW ELECTRIC TOP SPEED: 20 KNOTS CRUISE: 8 KNOTS FUEL: 420 GALLONS BASE PRICE: $2.4 MILLION (silent-yachts.com)

Boating is all about having fun in the sun. So why not use the power of the sun to increase your fun factor? That’s the thinking from German-owned Silent Yachts, which has been building solar-powered power cats since 2010.

The company’s latest model, the Silent 60, features a roof and hardtop crammed with 42 solar panels that provide juice to a 286kWh lithium battery bank. This, in turn, powers a pair of 340kW electric motors that propel the Silent 60 silently at a zero-emission cruising speed of 6 to 8 knots. Need to get home in a hurry? Push forward the throttles for a 20-knot top speed.

Planning on cruising further afi eld—like around the world? The latest Silent 60 is available with a light, compact, infl atable kite sail that can be deployed from a small mast on the bow.

Climbing as high as 400 feet, the 140-square-foot kite can haul the 30-ton yacht along at 4 to 5 knots, depending on wind strength. Or add 4 to 5 knots to the Silent 60’s electric-powered cruising speed. Impressive. «