Sam Fortescue reveals the latest multihulls to make a splash and takes a look at what’s on the designers’ drawing boards
Sunreef 43m Eco
LOA 42.7m
Beam 15.4m
Power 2 x 200kW
Passengers 12 guests, 7 crew
Polish catamaran builder Sunreef has just sold another 43M Eco – the second largest sailing cat in the world. This is hull No 2, and will feature the same innovative 60kW solar array as the first example. Solar cells are integrated into every surface of the hull, superstructure and rig to give it impressive range under electric propulsion and almost limitless power for domestic comfort. The boat has an invisible drop-down aft garage for toys, fold-down wings on the quarter and a vast beach club, which combine to form what Sunreef has dubbed the Ocean Lounge. A gym with a view is built into the starboard quarter, and there’s a huge flybridge and room for 12 guests below.
BlackCat 36m
LOA 36m
Beam 13.7m
Draught 1.60-4.90m
Passengers 8 guests, 4 crew
Designer Malcolm McKeon and BlackCat founder Mitch Booth have been busy creating a super-sleek new 36-metre catamaran concept for a specific owner, and are now offering it alongside its other models in the 30- to 50-metre range. There’s barely a straight line on board; everything is curved and ergonomic – what Italian design is to furniture, so BlackCat is to catamarans. Compared to other BlackCats, there is perhaps a little extra height in the superstructure, plus solar panels and drop-down bulwarks aft. Naturally, it is a full-carbon build with performance to match – this one is predicted to sail at up to 30 knots, setting 650 square metres of carbon sails on its 45-metre rotating mast. Retractable rudders and daggerboards promise tight wind angles and upwind speed as well as access to shallow waters. Electric propulsion and up to 50kW regeneration capacity will minimise fuel burn. There are four double cabins for eight guests. The boat would be built at Baltic Yachts with BlackCat consulting.
Echo Yachts 56m
LOA 56m
Beam 15.5m
Passengers 16 guests, 14 crew
Echo Yachts has come up with a beast of a catamaran design that blurs the line between support mothership and boat. This 56-metre is designed around helicopter operations, with two landing spots and room for two aircraft in the hangar. That gives it the capacity to carry three helicopters, as well as a range of large tenders up to around 11 metres and numerous other toys. Not that guest-level comfort has been neglected: there’s a spa pool on the foredeck, a private aft deck lounge and a huge beach club based around the drop-down platform. The interior is 100 per cent customisable, and can be skewed towards crew accommodation or even scientific, humanitarian or special interest facilities.
Alva Yachts Ocean Eco 90 H2
LOA 27.5m
Beam 13.98m
Draught 1.2m
Power 2 x 250kW
Alva Yachts is building the world’s first 27.5-metre fossil-fuel-free catamaran. The Ocean Eco 90 H2 will run off two electric motors connected to a 500kWh-plus battery pack, powered by the sun via 200 square metres of solar panelling. It will also be fitted with Ayro’s Oceanwings with sensors on the wingsails. Wind data will be analysed by a computer that will adjust the wingsails’ angle of attack and camber. “This project would not be possible without our classification partner DNV, which has established new ground rules because this has never been done before,” says Holger Henn, CEO of the German builder.
McConaghy MC115
LOA 35m
Beam 12.5m
Draught 1.8m (centreboards up)
Composite wizard McConaghy has given us an exclusive preview of a new 35-metre catamaran that is still at the design stage. Intended to bridge the gap between production and superyacht sectors, it is even more customisable than the yard’s smaller models. It features wide side decks and an open flybridge with an enclosed helm station forward, at the mast foot.
With sail controls concentrated above, the main deck is devoted to socialising, with a huge hydraulic bathing platform aft. The master suite is positioned forward on the main deck, giving it access to a foredeck lounge with a spa pool – a departure for this performance-focused brand. Accommodation is for 12 guests in six cabins, supported by a crew of four. But the precise configuration is infinitely adaptable. This should be a rapid boat, courtesy of slick naval architecture by Ker and a high-tech composite build. “The MC115 is a wind-speed yacht, and with true wind speed of 20 knots and the boat at 100 degrees, she will comfortably achieve 21 knots,” says managing director Mark Evans.
Silent 120
LOA 36.75m
Beam 13.85m
Draught 2m
Power 2 x 340hp e-motors
Flagships on this scale don’t come quickly, and especially not when they keep growing. What began as a 30-metre now surpasses 36 metres, with its electric drives and helicopter landing pad covered with retractable solar panels. To keep us hooked as the 2024 launch date draws closer, Silent Yachts has released details of a specially adapted submersible and quadcopter designed to match the yacht. U-Boat Worx is behind the two-person Nemo sub, which can dive to 100 metres. And the aircraft is an adaptation of VRCO’s XP4, due for regulatory approval in 2024. Billed as the “supercar of the skies”, it has vertical take off and landing capabilities and room for four passengers. Both are electric and will be recharged from the Silent 120’s vast battery bank.
WiderCat 92
LOA 28.04m
Beam 12m
Power 2 x 420kW electric motors
Top speed 15 knots
Passengers 8 guests, 4 crew
As we reported back in November, Wider has sold five of its 28-metre WiderCats so far, and the first hulls have now left the moulds in Ancona. Late on a midwinter’s night, the two halves of the boat were transported 20 kilometres by road at painstaking speed to Wider’s new building halls at Fano. They will first be joined, then united with the deck and superstructure, which are already moulded. Painting comes next, followed by the complex systems that lie behind this advanced diesel-electric hybrid. The build is on track to debut at Cannes in September.
Lazzara LPC 85
LOA 25.9m
Beam 10.6m
Power 2 x 550 - 1,800hp
Top speed 20 knots
Passengers 10 guests, 5 crew
Following the delivery of its UHV 87 model, shown at Cannes in 2022, and the launch of an express cruiser in its LSX series, Lazzara Yachts is expanding its offering with a catamaran line. The flagship 26-metre cat, built in GRP, will house a giant saloon that occupies the entire main deck – with the focus entirely on entertainment. The owner’s suite is a marvel – filling the 10-metre beam of the lower deck, with fold-down balconies on either side. Four more guest doubles have been designed with semi-open bathrooms, to transmit the light from the hull windows. Outside space is epic, with a vast beach club, elegant main deck dining and an expansive flybridge with a spa pool. While impressively styled, these are production yachts, with choices very much circumscribed.
VisionF 100
LOA 30.5m
Beam 12m
Power 4 x Volvo Penta IPS 1050 3,200hp
Top speed 22 knots
In just four years of operation, Turkish yard VisionF has already launched several 24-metre aluminium catamarans, and now it has sold a 30.5-metre cat. Built entirely in robust Kevlar composite, it should be incredibly stiff and strong. But relaxing is the name of the game here. There’s a glass-bottomed pool on the foredeck, fold-down wing balconies and a large, open flybridge. At the stern is deep hydraulic platform designed so that it either massively extends the aft deck or provides a huge beach club area. Besides the 100-square-metre saloon there is room on the main deck for a large forward-facing owner’s cabin. Up to six comfortable en suite cabins can be fitted into the two hulls. Delivery is scheduled for 2025.
Lagoon Seventy 7
LOA 23.25m
Beam 11m
Power 2 x 175hp diesel
Passengers up to 10 guests + 2 crew
While Lagoon is better known for its smaller sailing cats, its Seventy 7 is a semi-custom exception with more of a superyacht mentality. And its latest commission is an intriguing mix of sailing and gaming. Currently in build, the boat has an elegant dedicated cinema in the starboard hull with 7.1 surround sound and a pull-down screen integrated into the headlining. Another owner request was that the LED-lit gaming tower should be made a feature of the boat, and so it is – placed by the stairs so the lights can be seen from the cockpit. Next to the cinema is a workshop, where the owner can work on his drones.
Even without customisation, the Seventy 7 is a spacious, capable cruising cat. There’s the option of a spa pool on its flybridge, which also offers informal dining, an L-shaped sofa, a grill and a fridge. The helm station naturally lies at the forward end of this space, where all the lines come back to a battery of hefty winches. The foredeck lounge has direct access inside via a sea-tight door. And uniquely, the master cabin has a balcony door with a built-in bathing ladder for direct access to the water. Grey D4 Vectran sails from Incidence complement a dark grey hull, while the interior plays on primary colours.
Art Explorer
The build of the groundbreaking 46-metre Art Explorer catamaran is continuing apace at The Italian Sea Group, with delivery expected in September. “She will be one of the largest luxury catamarans in the world when she is delivered, a testament to the vision, energy and leadership of its protagonist, Frederic Jousset,” says Laurent Bredy, head of project management for Fraser, of the yacht’s French owner. It was designed by Axel de Beaufort and Guillaume Verdier, with carbon mast and boom by Lorima. She will act as a floating gallery that will sail around the world, taking art to people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to it.
Fountaine Pajot 80
LOA 23.98m
Beam 11.09m
Power 2 x 175hp
Passengers 12 guests, 5 crew
Building a 24-metre was a big step up for French production yard Fountaine Pajot, so it has sought naval architect Olivier Racoupeau’s help to add some big-boat sparkle. He’s brought ideas such as drop-down bulwarks that create a port and starboard lounging area at anchor, a spa pool set into the bow, where you can bathe and admire the waves sliding by, a well-equipped flybridge and epic toy storage. The overhangs are set with semi-transparent solar cells and the interior by Isabelle Racoupeau is about unostentatious luxury. There’s also room for up to six double cabins.
HH88
LOA 26.82m
Beam 11.1m
Power 2 x 170hp Yanmar
Passengers 10 guests, 4 crew
Speed has always been the essence of HH Catamarans, but a new flagship is hoping to inject a bigger dose of comfort into these carbon-fibre fliers. Choose between a sleek flybridge or the racy pod helm stations that barely protrude above the coachroof. Up to 10 guests are supported by four crew, making charter an option. But make no mistake: even with self-tacking jibs and lots of lounging space, these remain exhilaratingly fast boats capable of near-wind speed into the low-20 knot zone. The first hull is launching now.
Prestige M8
LOA 19.82m
Beam 8.85m
Power 2 x Volvo Penta D8 600hp
Top speed 20 knots
A new flagship is on the drawing board at Franco-Italian builder Prestige, which has found a niche in high-quality series production. The 20-metre M8 power cat is said to have lower fuel consumption thanks to efficient design, and a 15-knot cruising speed. A full-beam owner’s cabin forms a lower half-deck forward, with space for up to four further guest cabins. A vast saloon with extensive glazing and stainless-steel detailing gives the feeling of a sophisticated apartment. There’s also a flybridge and a foredeck lounge. It should be at Cannes this year.
Gunboat 70
Reinvigorated under French ownership, Gunboat has just unveiled a flexible new 21-metre model. The spec can be varied on a scale that runs from fast cruiser to seat-of-the-pants rocket ship, with two rig choices. The mast has been moved aft for a bigger self-tacking J2 sail and a high-aspect main. There’s no flybridge – just an aerodynamic coachroof that has been enlarged to take more solar panels. The saloon is bigger too, and the accommodation is flexible.
Nemesis 60ft
The team behind the outrageous 101-metre Nemesis One foiling catamaran concept have somehow raised the stakes a notch or two further with a design that will hit 150 knots. This will be a 20-metre power boat on hydrofoils, capable of accommodating six guests and three crew. Initial drawings resemble something out of Star Wars – all stealth angles in jet black. The contract is already in place for the design and build, according to Nemesis.
Bluegame BGM75
LOA 22.7m
Beam 8.15m
Power 2 x IPS Volvo Penta D8 550 hp
Top speed 20 knots
Bluegame's first ever multihull offering was revealed to the world at the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2022. The 22.7-metre design retains the appearance of a monohull with the benefits of a catamaran – stability, volume and improved fuel consumption. Its hull form means the BGM75 requires 50 per cent less power than a monohull of the same volume, while generating 5kW of green energy thanks to 56 solar panels that can be installed on the deckhouse. Design comes from Bernardo Zuccon and Piero Lisson, working on a hull form that was developed as the hydrogen-powered chase boat for the America’s Cup.